


A Piece of Eden

by Swiggle_muffin



Series: A Piece of Eden [1]
Category: Assassin's Creed
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Fluff, Implied Sexual Content, Kidnapping, Sexual Content, Swearing, The last one, in one chapter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-07
Updated: 2017-01-29
Packaged: 2018-07-12 18:32:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 29,380
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7117747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Swiggle_muffin/pseuds/Swiggle_muffin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Polly Rae Eden, a young girl from London, has her life turned upside down after a chance meeting with a deadly, but very charming, Assassin.</p><p>*I am a sucker for fluff, so this is basically purely just a love story</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Garden Party

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first published fan fiction. It will be in two parts; pre and post Jack the Ripper dlc. All art that you see in this story was done by my wonderful friend Keni. Please check out her blog on tumblr (babelast)

"Polly Rae! Sunday Best please, we have been invited to a garden party at Buckingham Palace." Polly Rae Eden's mother called to her from the bottom of the stairs. Polly sighed and put down the book she had been enjoying. She got so frustrated when her mother just dropped things like this on her. However, her mother probably knew that Polly would of feigned illness to get out of it if she'd of known in advance. Polly hated garden parties. She hated any social function of any sort really. They were so tedious and boring. Plus, Polly wasn't very sociable. She was shy and found it difficult to talk to strangers. Most girls would of been full of excitement at being able to go to Buckingham Palace, but Polly really wasn't interested. She would much rather stay in her room with a good book.

Still, Polly changed into a beautiful, pale yellow day dress and clipped up her long, auburn hair. The yellow of her dress made her crystal blue eyes sparkle even more than usual. Of course, there was still no satisfying her mother. She demanded to know why Polly wasn't wearing a hat, but Polly refused to go and fetch one. Elizabeth Eden threw open the carriage door and got in, huffing to herself. Polly couldn't help smirking at her father. As an only child, Polly was doted on by him. In turn, there wasn't another man in Polly's life that she loved more than her father. Then again, there wasn't really another man in Polly's life full stop. Polly and Thomas Eden joined Elizabeth in the carriage, and they were on their way. 

Polly gazed out of the small window as they trundled along the streets of London. The air was cool, but the sun was shining, and the citizens were all going about their daily business. Polly noticed a couple of gang members on a street corner. Gang crime had fallen since the unexpected death of the underground criminal bigwig Maxwell Roth, but it was still present in some areas. Polly tried not to worry about all that though. She pulled away from the window and turned back to her parents.  
"Will Her Majesty be at the party?" she asked curiously.  
"I doubt it. It's not a party hosted by her, it's just in the Palace ground." Thomas explained to his daughter.  
"Well we all know how the last Queen's Ball ended." Polly pointed out with a little smile. "Let's see who dies at the garden party."  
"I'm sure the business with Crawford Starrick is something Her Majesty wishes to forget," Thomas said firmly. Loosely translated to Polly as 'that's none of our business.'. Which was a shame. It had actually brought some excitement to what had been, quite frankly, a pretty dull Ball. All Polly could really remember of it was eating some cake, and seeing a rather attractive young man for about two minutes before he disappeared. 

When the Eden family arrived at the garden party, they were greeted by Prime Minister Disreali and his wife Mary-Anne. Polly liked Mrs Disreali. She found her incredibly entertaining and friendly, unlike most of the uptight, first class women of London. Mrs Eden's dislike for Mrs Disreali fuelled Polly's need to be friends with the Prime Minister's wife. The Disrealis were friends of the family anyway. Polly's father was Governor of the Bank of England. A job that had been bestowed on him after the murder of his predecessor Phillip Twopenny. Polly was...well...nothing. Just 'the Governor's Daughter'. At eighteen, she had finished her schooling, but didn't have a paying job. The only work she did do was help out at Lambeth Palace Library, teaching young children and orphans how to read.

Whilst her parents were distracted by their friends, Polly decided to quickly slip away and take a walk round by herself. She watched all the high society guests swan around, each one acting like they owned the place. Sometimes Polly hated being upper class. It pained her to see how some of these women behaved. Snotty, rude, arrogant. Polly didn't want to be associated with that. Manners cost nothing, that's what she'd always been taught. To Polly, everyone she met was human, therefore everyone was the same. Polly decided to do some people watching. She saw a young woman talking to an Indian man Polly didn't recognise. Polly didn't like to eavesdrop so she went to walk away, not wanting to be caught being nosey.

But something stopped her.

A voice. 

And this voice belonged to a man Polly had seen just once before. She gasped and dived behind a tree. No-one had told her Sir Jacob Frye would be here! Sir Jacob had been the man who had caught her eye at the Queen's Ball, and she'd been so taken with him that she'd even asked Mrs Disreali who he was. She knew everyone in London. At that point he was simply Jacob Frye, and apparently he had saved the lives of the Prime Minister and his wife once. Shortly after the Ball, Mrs Disreali had mentioned in passing that Jacob and his twin sister Evie had been Knighted, but she hadn't said why. Polly presumed it was for stopping the assassination attempt. Either way, it had just made Polly admire him more. The fact that he was pretty good looking in a rugged sort of way didn't hurt either.

Heart beating fast, Polly peered round the tree. Jacob, his sister and the Indian man had gone. She made her way over to the drinks table to get herself some champagne. She didn't particularly enjoy it, but it gave her hands something to do so she wasn't just awkwardly standing around doing nothing. She suddenly spotted her mother looking around, obviously trying to find Polly, so Polly made a hasty retreat away from the main party area. After a few minutes she caught sight of the Frye twins again. There were a couple of woman floating around, fluttering their eye lashes at Jacob. Despite herself, Polly leant against an oak tree a few yards away and just watched them. Well, she watched Jacob. She thought she was safe at this distance. However, as Jacob turned round to say something to his sister, he spotted Polly. Polly shot behind her tree, her cheeks burning red with embarrassment. 

After a minute, she took a deep breath and took a sneaky peek around the tree. Jacob was gone. Sighing with relief, Polly turned back round...and gave a squeal in alarm. Jacob Frye was stood right in front of her. He looked even nicer close up, top hat perched neatly on his dark brown hair, and his piercing hazel eyes sparkling to match the cheeky grin on his face. There was just something about this man that captivated Polly.  
"Sorry to startle you," he greeted her, his voice deep, but friendly, "but were you spying on me?"  
"No! No I was just... I was...spying on that other man," Polly babbled in panic, the champagne glass slipping from her hand. It was a good job it was empty, and it made little noise as it rolled across the grass. "I'm sorry Sir Jacob, I really must get back to my parents."  
Polly started to make a hasty exit, but Jacob wasn't done with her yet.  
"Oh, so you know who I am then?" he called after her, a slight hint of self-assurance in his voice. He was clearly pleased with the fact that Polly had heard of him. Polly stopped and turned back to the charming young man.  
"I've heard good things about you from Mrs Disreali," she told him with a smile. "Now if you'll excuse me..."

Before Jacob could say anything else, Polly was off like a shot. She could barely feel her legs, and her hands were shaking. Things didn't get any better either. Mrs Disreali had seen Polly and Jacob talking, and a lightbulb had seemed to go off in her head. Before Polly could protest, the Prime Minister's wife was dragging Polly back over to Jacob, insisting on introducing her properly. Polly tried to resist, but Mrs Disreali seemed determined to play cupid, whether either of her targets liked it or not. This was Polly's worst nightmare. She hated meeting new people as it was, nevermind someone she found herself quite attracted to.

"Mr Frye!" Mrs Disreali called out as they approached Jacob. "It's so good to see you again."  
"The pleasure's all mine Madam," Jacob replied, a bemused look on his face. He looked at Polly, and she quickly broke eye contact with him, pretending to cough. He turned back to Mrs Disreali. "How's Desmond?"  
"He's very well, thank you," she replied cheerfully. "Mr Frye, I'd like you to meet Polly Rae Eden. Polly Rae, this is Sir Jacob Frye."  
"Hello," Polly said in almost a whisper. She wanted to run. However, the person who did the running was Mrs Disreali. Before either Jacob or Polly could say anything else, 'Cupid' had excused herself, abandoning the pair of new acquaintances in an awkward silence. 'So this is what hell feels like' Polly thought to herself. She didn't know what to say. Luckily Jacob seemed more confident, and he broke the silence between them.  
"Well, Mrs Disreali certainly has an interesting way of introducing people," he joked. Polly gave a little giggle, her nerves starting to ease a bit.  
"She's a very interesting lady," Polly said.  
"I can't argue with that," Jacob agreed. There was another silence between the two of them. Jacob now seemed a little uneasy too, perhaps because he'd been caught off guard. However, this put Polly off even more. Did he not like her? Was she boring him already? In the end Polly asked him about the first thing she could think of; him saving the Prime Minister. Jacob played it down, no sense of arrogance or anything, which Polly liked. She tried to concentrate on what he was saying, but she was struggling to think straight. Every time she looked at Jacob, she lost herself in his beautiful hazel eyes. "Saving someone's life is quite heroic," Polly said, impressed but slightly confused that Jacob was making no big deal of it. "The only life I've ever saved is that of a mouse. Like that made a difference to the world."  
"It made a difference to that mouse." Jacob pointed out kindly. "And if you can make a difference to even one person, surely it's worth it?"  
"Hmmm, I suppose you're right," Polly replied with a smile. She was screaming at herself inside though. Why was she talking about mice? Was that really the most interesting thing she had to talk about? It was a good job Jacob was such a gentleman, otherwise Polly had a feeling she may have cried.

However, as shy as she still felt, Polly was incredibly perturbed when they were interrupted by her mother, waving at her to rejoin her parents. Out of the corner of her eye, she just caught Jacob rolling his eyes, and she had to stop herself from laughing.  
"My apologies Sir Jacob, but it seems I must leave our conversation here," Polly sighed. To her surprise, Jacob actually looked disappointed too.  
"Well it's been nice to meet you Miss Eden," he told her, smiling warmly.  
"You too. Have a good day." 

Polly slowly walked away, cursing her mother under her breath. After a minute she couldn't help stealing a little glance behind her. Jacob had remained in the same spot. And he was looking straight back at Polly. She felt her heart skip a beat. The two of them smiled at each other, then Jacob walked away.


	2. At The Library

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day after the garden party Polly Rae gets an unexpected visitor, and curiosity begins to set in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2 of Polly's story. I was undecided about whether to carry on with this due to lack of feedback, but I've decided to go for it anyway. Sorry it's taken so long to post, I went on vacation.

Monday morning, and Polly was at Lambeth Palace Library, setting up the children's area. Polly spent a lot of time in this section, helping the children choose books and listening to them read. It was something she enjoyed immensely. There was a great satisfaction to be had in helping children. The librarian said Polly would make a great mother one day. The children all loved her, and she made a fuss of every one of them, despite their age, class or ability.

However, on this particular day, Polly was slightly distracted. It wasn't unusual for her to walk around with her head in the clouds, but this was a different kind of distraction. Every so often her mind would wander back to the garden party, and in particular, Sir Jacob Frye. It wasn't the same as the first time she'd seen him. Then he had just caught her eye. This time she had actually spoken to him, albeit briefly, and that was stuck firmly in her mind. She couldn't help wanting to know more about him. Polly was ignorant to most of the London life outside her comfortable home bubble. Her parents had kept her very sheltered.

"Polly?" A voice suddenly piped up behind her. Polly spun round. It was her friend Tess, who also helped out at the library. Tess looked rather surprised, and there was a pink glow to her normally pale cheeks.  
"What is it?" Polly asked her.  
"Errrm...Well there's someone here who wants to talk to you," Tess replied quietly.  
"Oh?"

Tess made a hasty retreat, and who should stroll round the corner but Sir Jacob Frye. Polly dropped the book she was holding in shock, and almost stumbled over a little stool she'd backed into. What was happening? Was she seeing things?  
"Hello there," Jacob greeted her, picking up the book she had dropped and handing it back to her.  
"Sir Jacob!" Polly gasped, taking the book. "Oh, thank you. What?..."  
"Am I doing here? Well I've always been a big book lover," Jacob replied casually. Polly gave a happy smile, glad that they had something in common. After all, this wasn't just anybody. This was Sir Jacob Frye.  
"Really? Who's your favourite author?" Polly asked him eagerly. Jacob seemed to falter slightly, causing suspicion to arise in Polly. She watched him as he looked around, clearly looking for an answer to her question. Polly's heart sank. Maybe they didn't have anything in common after all.  
"Errrmm...Dickens," he replied at last, avoiding Polly's blue eyes that were shadowed by a frown. 

Knowing full well that Jacob was bluffing his way through this conversation, Polly decided to tease him and ask him what his favourite book was. She smiled as she waited for an answer, watching Jacob get increasingly more uncomfortable. Polly didn't like to tease, but she was so disappointed that they had nothing in common when she'd thought they did. They story of her life really. Maybe she was just too plain and boring. Eventually Jacob admitted defeat and told her that he didn't actually know the name of any of Charles Dickens' books.  
"But I do know the man himself," Jacob informed her, puffing out his chest proudly. Polly was momentarily taken aback. She couldn't be sure whether he was joking or not, but she didn't want to ask him that in case she sounded rude.  
"You know Charles Dickens?" Polly asked him, trying not to sound like she didn't believe him.  
"Sure," Jacob shrugged casually. "Charlie's an old pal."  
"I would love to be friends with Charles Dickens," Polly said with a little giggle. Jacob grinned.  
"Well I could introduce you if you'd like," he offered. "How about now?"

Polly dropped her book again. She wasn't sure what stunned her more; the fact that she might get to meet one of her favourite authors, or the fact that it was Sir Jacob Frye offering this to her. She didn't know what to say. Why was he doing this? They didn't even know each other. Why was he even here if he didn't like books? It made no sense to Polly. It didn't matter. There was no way she could do it anyway. She was too shy. Suddenly Polly heard the innocent laughter and chatter of children, and she remembered what it was she was supposed to be doing. Her heart sank.  
"I'm afraid I can't. I hold a reading class for the children. I can't let them down," Polly explained. To her surprise, she noticed that Jacob looked slightly disappointed with this reply. Or was he just not used to people saying no to him?  
"That's very charitable of you," he said. Polly smiled gratefully.  
"I enjoy it."  
"Well perhaps another time then."

Jacob picked up Polly's book for a second time and handed it back to her. As she took it, their hands touched just ever so slightly, but the tingle it sent through Polly's body was gone almost before she had time to register that it had happened. Jacob said goodbye, and he left, laughing as he dodged excited children on his way out. Polly was left in a state of disbelief. It had only been for two minutes, but seeing Jacob again had left her stunned. She wasn't the only one either. A still pink-cheeked Tess stuck her head round the corner and demanded to know why Polly had dismissed Jacob's offer.  
"I'm busy," Polly shrugged.  
"Then go later or something!" Tess insisted. "Don't lose this opportunity Polly."  
"You really think I should?" Polly asked, biting on her bottom lip. Was she going to let being shy get in the way of everything? Could she overcome it?  
"Yes!" Tess almost shouted. "Look, I'll watch the children for you. If you're quick, you might just catch him."

Polly hesitated for a few seconds. Then she put down her book and quickly took off after Jacob. She wasn't sure what she was going to say to him if she caught him. She was half hoping not to. But sure enough, when Polly got outside, Jacob was just by the front gate. Polly called to him and he stopped and turned round. A smile spread across his handsome face as Polly approached him.  
"Everything alright?" he asked her. Polly nodded, slightly out of breath.  
"I was just wondering about your offer. About meeting Mr Dickens," Polly said meekly. "I can't go now. But...would it be possible to...go later perhaps?"  
Jacob's smile got wider. "Of course. What time do you finish here?"  
"Three."  
"I'll come back for you at three then."

The two of them said goodbye once more, but instead of going straight back inside, Polly watched him walk away. Then something else caught Polly's eye. Three burly looking gang members in red jackets. They were looking at Polly and whispering to each other, with little smirks on their faces. Feeling uneasy, Polly turned away from them, and headed back into the library.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for taking the time to read my stuff. This is a story that I've already written and I never intended on showing it to anyone. Any feedback is greatly appreciated. This is for Dream_dropdistance1232 :)


	3. Where The Ale Is Warm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Polly and Jacob enjoy a drink with Charles Dickens. Meanwhile, someone is up to no good...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a filler chapter. I'm sorry this has taken so long to post. Also apologies for the amount of dialogue. I tried to cut it down. Hopefully I can get back into the flow of writing now.

"Come on Polly, you can do this. He's just an ordinary human being. What's the worst that could happen?" Polly whispered to herself as she headed out of the library. She was still in shock slightly. Why was Jacob doing this? What could he possibly want from her? It didn't even cross her mind that he could just simply be being friendly. Why would he want to get to know her, she was about as interesting as a sponge. But true to his word, Jacob was waiting for her outside the library. Polly was extremely nervous. She had been worried that he might change his mind, or something more important would call him away. She kept it together though, after all, she didn't want to look like an idiot. She had never been on an outing with a young man before, never mind one that she was fairly attracted to. Any ideas she had to turn and run though, vanished as Jacob smiled at her.

"Miss Eden," Jacob greeted her, helping her onto the carriage.

"Thank you. So which pub will we be going to?" Polly asked Jacob as he jumped aboard and took the reins.

"The George. One of about fifty Georges in this city," Jacob joked.

"I wouldn't really know," Polly sighed, feeling very uninteresting. "The furthest I've been from my home in Westminster is Lambeth. Unless I go into the city with my parents.

"I wouldn't peg you as a pub dweller anyway," Jacob chuckled. Polly shuffled in her seat. She knew he hadn't meant that as an insult, but it made her worry whether he thought that was a bad thing. It wasn't her fault though. Her mother would _never_ allow her to go to a pub. Which is why Polly wouldn't be mentioning this little trip when she got home. The two of them chatted on the way to the pub, about the city and how much it had improved in the past year. Polly was relieved that they were actually having a proper conversation. Suddenly she didn't feel so nervous anymore.

"So at the garden party I heard someone call you the Governor's daughter," Jacob mentioned to her casually. Polly nodded.

"My father is the Governor of the Bank of England," Polly explained, slightly pleased that Jacob was asking her questions about herself.

"I suppose he got that job after Twopenny died."

"Mr Twopenny didn't just die, he was murdered," Polly told him seriously. "Not by my father though, if that's what you're thinking."

Jacob laughed. "Trust me Miss Eden, that's not what I'm thinking."

"Mr Twopenny had connections to Mr Starrick. So I'm presuming whoever killed him is the same person who killed Mr Twopenny." Polly decided to confess her theory. She was actually feeling quite comfortable in Jacob's company now, and he didn't seem to mind talking about things like this.

"Quite the detective, aren't you Miss Eden?" Jacob said, grinning. Polly noticed a mischievous glint in his eye that she quite liked. " My theory is Starrick died of natural causes."

"Really?"

"Yea. He was naturally a prick."

Polly burst out laughing. She had not expected that response. Knowing that Sir Jacob Frye had quite the sense of humour made her very happy. If there was trait she really liked in someone it was the ability to make her laugh. It was why she liked Mrs Disreali so much. Polly was still giggling when the pair of them reached the George. And they'd been so engrossed in their conversation, that neither of them had noticed they had been followed. Polly was so excited about meeting Charles Dickens that she didn't really notice anything else.

Jacob took her over to the table Dickens was sat at and introduced the two of them. Jacob went off to the bar and Polly and Dickens talked about his work. Polly told him that she would love to write a novel, but she didn't think she had the patience. She was enjoying herself so much that she didn't even notice she'd drunk two and a half pints of beer. Jacob had picked the weakest brew, but Polly had never drunk beer before. So when she stood up to leave, she went a little dizzy. Jacob caught her as she stumbled.

"Oops. Are you alright?" He asked her, not releasing her until he was sure she could stand unaided. Polly couldn't help wishing he hadn't let go at all. Or maybe that was the beer talking.

"Thank you. I just went a bit giddy for a second," Polly explained.

"Ah. That is what's known as being 'tipsy'," Jacob told her, grinning. "Come on, I better get you home." 

As the pair left the pub, they were followed again, by a group of three men in red jackets, However, this time, Jacob spotted them.

"Why don't you sit inside the carriage Miss Eden," Jacob said quickly, opening the door for her.

"You can call me Polly," she replied, smiling sweetly.

"Only if you stop calling me Sir Jacob," he requested.

"Mr Frye then?"

"How about Jacob?"

"Alright. Jacob," Polly replied. First name terms with Sir Jacob Frye. Polly could get used to that. The two of them just looked at each other for a moment...until it was ruined by a rather large hiccup from Polly. She closed her eyes in despair, trying to stifle the urge to throw herself under a passing horse and cart. Jacob didn't seem to care though as he shut the door with a little laugh. They headed back to Polly's home with a bit of haste, Jacob well aware they were still being followed. Polly hiccupped all the way home, stopping only to give Jacob directions. She wasn't looking forward to explaining this to her mother.

Jacob walked Polly to her door like a proper gentleman. and they said their goodbyes, Jacob not leaving until Polly was safely inside her house. Polly couldn't quite believe that this had all actually happened. Once inside, Polly was immediately pounced upon by her mother.

"Where in heaven's name have you been?" Elizabeth demanded to know.

"A friend introduced me to Charles Dickens," Polly explained, failing to stifle a hiccup. Her father joined them

"Can I smell beer?" He asked Polly, looking confused. Polly giggled nervously.

"Are you drunk?" Polly's mother fired at her.

"I believe it's what they call being 'tipsy'," Polly replied.

"Where have you been and who have you been with?" Elizabeth wanted to know. Polly didn't know what to say. She didn't want to get Jacob into trouble. So Polly just insisted she was fine and headed to bed before her mother exploded. Later on, Mr Eden went to say goodnight to his daughter. He probed Polly for more information about her outing, but she kept quiet. However, she had a strange feeling he already knew. But what mattered the most to Polly was that he didn't seem to be cross about it. And that could be very important in the future.

* * *

_Meanwhile..._

_In a carriage just down the street from Polly's house, sat three Blighters and a Templar. With Crawford Starrick dead, there was an opening for a new Grand Master. And some were willing to do anything to get that title. The Templar scribbled Polly's name, address and description down into a notepad, and simply wrote underneath it all; **BAIT.**_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this. Chapter four is already being worked on.


	4. A Birthday Surprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Polly's parents throw her a birthday tea party, much to her discomfort. She manages to escape with the aid of a friend, but winds up in deeper waters...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to Natasha for helping me with bits of this chapter.

A couple of uneventful days later, Polly received a mysterious gift. It was left for her at the library, with no note. just her initials on the small tag. The gift was a little pot of pansies. An unusual gift to say the least, made even more baffling by the fact that Polly had no idea who or where it had come from. All the librarian could tell her was that it was left on the desk by a woman in a green jacket and yellow scarf. Tess didn't seem to know anything about it either. Except one thing; Tess was a lover of flowers and their meanings and she informed Polly that pansies symbolized being in somebody's thought.

"Basically, you have a secret admirer," she told her friend simply, sounding the tiniest bit huffy. Polly laughed. The thought was ridiculous. She didn't see that there was anything admirable about her. It was probably just from her father, he had been known to send her little gifts now and then. Speaking of her father, Polly had finally confessed to him the details of her little trip to The George, including the company she had kept that evening. Mr Eden hadn't been cross, which relieved Polly. Maybe these flowers were just his way of reassuring his daughter that he wasn't angry with her.

"They're probably from my father," Polly insisted, getting up from her desk. She began to tidy up the children's corner in an effort to distract herself. She didn't want to admit that she was actually quite curious about the whole thing.

"Or...they might be from Sir Jacob Frye..." Tess said casually. Polly spun round so fast she gave herself a head rush. No. Surely not.

"What makes you say that?"

"Well you did go for a drink with him," Tess shrugged. Polly gave an impatient huff.

"I also had a drink with Mr Dickens. Does that mean they're from him?"

"They could be," Tess argued back. "I'm just confused about the woman."

"I'm confused about it all." Polly gave a heavy sigh and went back to tidying. She couldn't let this get to her. It was her birthday the next day, and her parents were throwing a party so she had that to worry about. Although her mother said it was a birthday party for her daughter, Polly knew it was just an excuse to show off to her friends. Polly didn't know any of the invitees bar Tess and Mrs Disreali. She just knew it would be a disaster.

* * *

Polly's birthday tea party was a lavish affair, Which didn't suit Polly at all. The purple satin gown fit Polly like a glove, and her auburn hair looked beautiful in a French plait down her back, although she felt her mother had ruined the ensemble by insisting she wear a hat. She certainly looked like the birthday girl, but feel it she did not. She got plenty of compliments, which just embarrassed her. Strangers wished her many happy returns, and she smiled politely and thanked them, but really she couldn't wait for it all to be over. Men kept asking her to dance and she kept refusing, much to her mother's dismay. But Polly just wasn't a dancer, and she didn't want to dance with strange men like the other girls were doing. Polly's only saving grace really was the fact that Tess was with her. Also Mrs Disreali. And the Prime Minister's wife had other friends.

"Who invited Sir Jacob Frye and his sister?" Polly gasped as the Frye twins entered the garden.

"No idea," her mother shrugged, uninterested. "Probably Mary-Anne."

"Happy birthday," Polly's father whispered to his daughter as Elizabeth walked away. Polly smiled happily. Tess came over to her, giggling madly.

"I have a message for you," she told Polly, clearly struggling not to burst out laughing. "There's a gentleman over there who has just asked me to ask you if you'll dance with him. His name is, wait for it...Walter Snodbottom!"

Polly couldn't help herself. She erupted into a fit of laughter, and even her father had to chuckle.

"I'm sure he's a very pleasant gentleman," he pretended to scold his daughter.

"He could be the nicest man in the world, there's no way I'm going to end up as Mrs Snodbottom!" Polly insisted, struggling to calm her laughter. People were looking over at her, and her mother fixed her with a glare. Polly felt like she couldn't even enjoy her own party. So Polly decided she should go and greet her newly arrived guests. It was only polite after all. So she calmed herself down, straightened her dress and hat and made her way over to Jacob and Evie, dodging Walter Snodbottom along the way. Jacob hadn't seen her, so after a couple of deep breaths, she strolled over to him, reached up and tapped him on the shoulder, as she seemed to have forgotten how to say hello. Jacob spun round.

"Is that Miss Eden under there?" He greeted her cheerfully. Polly giggled and removed her hat. "That's better. Happy birthday."

"Thank you. And thank you both for coming," Polly replied. "Although I must confess, it doesn't really feel like my party.

"Well...you're certainly dressed like it's your party," Jacob said with a smile.

"I hope you meant that as a compliment."

"Of course."

"Thank you." Out of the corner of her eye, Polly could see Evie looking back and forth the pair of them, slightly bemused. The Dame took a sip of her champagne and continued to watch curiously. Jacob looked around and spotted Walter Snodbottom watching them with a sad little look on his face. Clearly he was keen on Polly. But he needed to join the queue.

"You have an admirer," Jacob told Polly, nodding in Walter's direction. Polly followed Jacob's line of sight, and couldn't stop herself giggling.

"That would be Walter Snodbottom," she informed Jacob.

"Who?"

"Don't make me say it again, I beg of you. He wants to dance but I'm afraid he'll be waiting a long time." Polly paused, then said, "Are you much of a dancer Jacob?"

Evie, who had been taking another sip of champagne, suddenly choked at Polly's words. Jacob gave her a little punch on her arm, causing her to choke some more. She swallowed and gave a little snort of laughter.

"As my dear sister has obviously made clear, I'm afraid if you got me to dance Miss Eden you'd be sorely disappointed," Jacob told Polly.

"I'm not one for dancing myself, despite my mother's efforts," Polly told him. "So I'm afraid I'm at a bit of a loss for things to do right now."

Jacob didn't reply for a few seconds, he just looked around. Then he said, "Are you really that bored?"

"I don't like to moan, but yes," Polly sighed. Jacob quickly grabbed a bottle of wine off the table and took Polly's hand.

"Let's go," he said quickly.

"Where?" Polly asked, but she wasn't resisting him pulling her away from the party. She'd already tossed away her hat.

"Wherever this wine takes us," Jacob joked. Polly laughed as the two fled the party. To her, this was really exciting. Her life had been so sheltered that it felt really good to be rebellious for once. She knew at least three people had seen them leave, one of them being Tess. The escapees headed through St. James' Park. Jacob bought them both a tub of ice cream, and they walked along chatting and laughing. Polly got a few weird glances from people, probably because she was slightly overdressed for a walk in the park. Polly didn't care though. Right now the only thing she cared about was how much fun she was having. Now it felt like her birthday.

Whilst in the park, Jacob and Polly came across a group of urchins playing cricket. Polly recognised them as ones who came to the library, and the children all said hello and invited the two adults to play. Polly was a little surprised that they knew Jacob too, but she didn't ask about it. She Just enjoyed the game. She even kicked off her shoes so she could run better. She couldn't smiling when she imagined the look on her mother's face if she found her like this. Jacob was a bit vigorous with the bat when it was his turn, and the ball landed with a small plop into the lake.

"Aw blast it," one of the young boys groaned. "That were our only ball."

"Sorry," Jacob apologised sheepishly. "I'll get it back for you."

Polly was already heading towards the water. She knew the ball had only landed in the shallow bit, so she was perfectly happy to paddle in and get it, despite Jacob insisting he would do it. Polly said it was fine. But oh how she regretted it. The ball had gone further than she'd thought. However, she felt committed now. Afraid what Jacob would think if she suddenly chickened out, Polly hitched up her dress and waded further in. Her bare foot hit a particularly slippy stone and...

There was nothing Polly could do. It all happened so fast. Her feet went from underneath her, and before she knew it, she landed, with a splash, right on her arse. Cold, dirty water lapped around her waist, and tears stung her eyes. She felt like a complete idiot. She heard the sound of hurried footsteps splashing in the water behind her, and she suddenly she felt herself being lifted up out of the water. Jacob carefully helped the soaking young girl back onto dry land, where she stood, shaking and trying desperately hard not to burst into tears.

"Are you alright?" Jacob asked Polly, pulling off his long, black coat and wrapping it round her. Polly hung her head, but she couldn't ignore the feeling of Jacob's hands gently holding onto her arms.

"No. I'm an idiot. A big, soggy idiot," she said miserably. "And I was having such fun."

"You're not a big, soggy idiot," Jacob assured her with a grin." You're a petite, soggy idiot."

Polly couldn't help but laugh. It was clear that Jacob wasn't going to let her take this seriously. 

"We better get you home," Jacob said. Polly nodded sadly. She didn't want this to be the end of her little birthday adventure. She'd loved every minute of it, and it was amazing how comfortable she felt in Jacob's company, considering she really didn't like socialising, and she hadn't know Jacob all that long.

"Thank you for a lovely birthday," Polly said quietly, blushing bright red. Jacob smiled, his hazel eyes sparkling.

"You're welcome. Sorry it had to end like this."

"Well how would you rather it end?" Polly asked. It was a simple question. She hadn't meant it in any cryptic way. But the instant the words hit the air, she realised how that sounded. And Jacob was perfectly happy to show Polly how he would rather this outing end.

Polly had read a quote in a book once which said that the best thing about a first kiss is not the kiss itself, but the moment right before, when you look into each other's eyes and you're left breathless. And in those few seconds when Polly and Jacob looked at each other, she understood every word of that. Polly's breath hitched as Jacob gently pressed his lips to hers, his hand on her cheek. She could feel her skin tingling and all she could hear was the pounding of her heart. Her eyelids fluttered closed and one of her hands met Jacob's free one. As Jacob deepened the kiss Polly couldn't help but giggle. This feeling was new to her, and as much as she liked it, it still felt strange. Jacob slowly pulled away from her, his thumb lightly brushing her cheek as he moved his hand away. Polly opened her eyes, half relieved, half disappointed.

"I'm sorry. I hope that was alright, I've never kissed a man before," Polly babbled. She regretted those words as soon as she'd said them. Who admits something like that? Although it didn't seem to faze Jacob.

"Shocking," he replied with a smirk.

"Is that sarcasm Mr Frye?"

"No! No, I'm genuinely shocked," Jacob chuckled. "Come on, let's get you home Miss Eden. I bet Snodbottom's still waiting for that dance."

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for taking the time to read this. Any constructive comments, feel free to send them.


	5. The Rook Boy pt.1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Polly discovers a secret about Jacob which leads to trouble...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a two part chapter, as it was getting to long to put as one.

_**Meanwhile, back at the party...** _

_The pesky Templars were planting seeds. A strange man wearing black came wandering over to Tess and stood alongside her._

_"You friends with the birthday girl? Polly Rae?" He asked quietly._

_"What's it to you?" Tess snapped back. The man shuffled closer and Tess took a step away._

_"Just saw her leave with that Rook boy." The man said casually, looking over at the gate through which Jacob and Polly had fled._

_"That what?" Tess replied, frowning in confusion._

_"Frye. Leader of the Rooks," the strange man said with a grin. "Don't tell me you didn't know that."_

_"Aren't the Rooks a gang?" Tess pointed out, hardly daring to believe the mans words. He nodded._

_"That's right. And I wonder if Miss Eden knows that. Enjoy the party Miss." With that final word, the strange man disappeared into the crowd and Tess never saw him again._

* * *

Polly's afternoon had well been worth the scolding she got from her parents. Her mother had been mortified at the state she'd arrived back in. Soaking wet dress, no shoes on. Elizabeth hadn't even asked if her daughter was alright, she'd been more concerned about the dress. She'd shooed Jacob away like he was a stray cat, and dragged Polly inside to scold her. For ten minutes she'd ranted on at the young girl, before finally allowing her to go and change out of her dress. So now Polly was stood in front of her parents in her pink nightdress and slippers, only half paying attention, for her mind was still with Jacob. She didn't care what her mother said, she'd had the best birthday ever, and no-one could take that away from her. But apparently, absconding from her own birthday party with a gentleman of lower class, Knight or not, was not proper etiquette.

"Oh please! That wasn't my party, I hardly knew anyone there," Polly scoffed, frustrated.

"If you cannot behave Polly Rae, from now on you shall have to have a chaperone," her mother told her crossly, hands on hips. Polly gasped. No, surely not.

"What? Father! Have you agreed to this?"

"Polly, I do not object to you having friends, even male ones. But you can't go about gallivanting all over London. You're not just any girl, people know who you are," Thomas tried to reason with the young girl. But Polly understood. There was only one reputation at stake here.

"You mean people know who _you_ are?" She said bitterly, her blue eyes filling with tears. Thomas didn't reply. Polly felt utterly betrayed, and the pain clearly showed on her face as her father looked away.

"You have had more freedom than most girls, and you have abused that. This is your punishment," Elizabeth stated firmly. "Oh, and you shan't be seeing Mr Frye again. And he can pay for that dress-"

"That wasn't Jacob's fault, that was mine," Polly insisted, furiously wiping away the tears now staining her cheeks. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'd like to go to bed. I've had a busy day."

"Polly-"

"Thank you for my party. I'm sorry I spoiled things. Goodnight," Polly sobbed in a whisper, and she sadly dragged herself off to bed. She couldn't sleep though. She couldn't stop thinking about that damn kiss with Jacob, and the butterflies doing somersaults in her tummy just wouldn't fly away. This was a feeling Polly was completely new to. She'd ruined the kiss, she knew she had, and it was unlikely that Jacob would ever want to kiss her again, but Polly would just take the chance to look into his beautiful hazel eyes one more time.

Her parent's hadn't been kidding about the chaperone. The next morning Polly was introduced to Nancy, a sixty year old widow with nothing better to do than watch over unruly teens. She was pleasant enough, and Polly didn't hate her, but she didn't feel comfortable with her. They barely spoke on their journey to the library, which didn't seem to bother either of them. Polly was still rather miffed she was being punished for daring to have fun on her birthday. And they hadn't even saved her any cake.

When they arrived at the library, Nancy plonked herself in a corner of the children's area and stuck her head in a book, and Polly went and sat next to Tess at their desk. Polly noticed that her friend looked rather flushed and antsy.

"What's wrong with you?" Polly asked curiously, frowning with concern.

"Your pansies were from Sir Jacob," Tess told Polly seriously. Polly had to laugh at the proud look on her friend's face, like she'd just solved an age old mystery. Still, she was intrigued to hear how Tess had come to this conclusion, even though, based on the events of the day before, Polly didn't mind betting that Tess was probably right.

"What makes you so sure of that?"

"I've been playing detective. It all started after you ran off from your party with Sir Jacob," Tess began to explain. "Some weird bloke came up to me and told me that your new friend is leader of that gang the Rooks. And what do the Rooks wear? Green jackets and yellow-"

"Woah, hold on a minute! I'm sorry, did you just say Sir Jacob Frye is a _gang leader?"_   Polly exclaimed in disbelief. Was this true? And if so, why wouldn't Jacob tell her?

"I didn't believe it either at first," Tess said, the excitement in her voice rising slightly. "So I did some digging. And it turns out that it's true. It also turns out that we must be the only people in London who don't know."

"Oh I don't think so. I'm pretty sure my parents aren't aware of it," Polly muttered, biting her lip anxiously. "But I'm sorry Tess, I need more to go on than the word of some weird bloke at a party."

"I thought you'd say that. Meet me at my house at five tonight."

"Aren't you forgetting someone?" Polly hissed, nodding towards the oblivious Nancy, who was still engrossed in her book. "I can't go anywhere without my babysitter now."

"Oh bring Fancy Nancy along too," Tess giggled wickedly." Leave her to me."

Polly didn't know how she was going to pull this off. She didn't even know what Tess had planned. But it meant Polly having to lie to her parents, something she was reluctant to do considering the trouble she was already in. However, the urge to find out more about Jacob overwhelmed Polly, so she found herself asking her parents if she could go and have tea at Tess' house. To her surprise, they agreed, albeit reluctantly, but of course insisted that Nancy go too. Which was fine by Polly, because Tess had plans for the unsuspecting widow. And oh what a plan it was...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you are enjoying Polly's adventure up to now. As always, comments are appreciated. Thank you :)


	6. The Rook Boy pt.2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Polly and her friend Tess head the fight club to confront Jacob.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter is so long, I got carried away.

Tess lived just by Westminster Abbey with her Grandmother and two older brothers. Her parents had passed away from illness when she was a little girl. Her Grandmother was wealthy, but not in the best of health. She was taking a few different pills to help her, and this had given Tess an idea.

When Polly and Nancy arrived, they were invited in and Nancy sat down to chat to Tess' Grandmother, while the two young girls went into the kitchen to make tea. It was here that Tess divulged her master plan.

"You want to drug Nancy?" Polly gasped, unable to believe what her friend had just said. "Oh god Tess I can't! What if we kill her?"

"It won't kill her. It'll just knock her out for a couple of hours," Tess assured her friend, handing over the pills. "Look Polly, it's your choice. But do you want to see Jacob again or not?"

Polly thought about it. This was serious. She had never done anything this risky before, and poor Nancy really didn't deserve it. But then Polly's mind floated to Jacob. Sir Jacob Frye and his charming smile and amusing wit, and sparkling hazel eyes. Oh those eyes...

"You promise it won't kill her?" Polly whispered to Tess seriously. "Because if I go down, I'm taking you with me."

"I promise."

Polly took a deep breath, her hand hovering over the tea she'd made for Nancy. Then she unfolded her fingers, and the two small pills fell with a plop into the warm liquid. Feeing slightly sick, and very guilty, Polly gave it a stir to make sure they had dissolved fully. She blamed Jacob for this. What was happening to her? How could one person affect her so much? Was it love, lust, or simply intrigue?  Polly didn't know. But she wanted to find out.

Polly couldn't watch as the two older ladies drank their tea, oblivious as to what the innocent looking young girls had done. Within a few minutes, Nancy and Tess' Grandmother had drifted off into a deep sleep, and Polly felt her invisible chains break. She was free. Free to run wild. Only problem was, she didn't really know how to run wild. The girls looked at each other.

"So what now?" Polly asked Tess nervously over Nancy's snores. 

"Now we go to the fight club," Her red-headed friend replied, grinning.

"Fight club? What fight club? You didn't say anything about any fight club!"

"The fight club where you'll find your darling Knight. Come on."

Curious, and admittedly a little excited, Polly went along with Tess and her two brothers. But her father's words were still buzzing round her inside her mind like angry bees; "People know who you are." What if someone who knew her saw her at the fight club and it got back to her father? Her father doted on her, but Polly knew there was only so much she could get away with. Drugging her chaperone and running off to a fight club to hopefully see a man she'd been told to stay away from was pushing it a bit. And what if Jacob wasn't even there? She'd be risking getting into heaps of trouble for no reason.

Unbeknownst to the group, on the way to the fight club, they were being followed by a red carriage, containing a small gang of Blighters. With their leader Maxwell Roth and Crawford Starrick both dead, technically the Blighters didn't work for the Templars anymore. But they were more than happy to help them put at least one of the Frye twins in the ground, especially Jacob Frye. Evie had been a pest for them too, but no-one had ever gotten on their tits more than the younger Frye twin. He was cocky, arrogant and deadly, and the Blighters wanted rid. If an innocent young girl had to be collateral damage then so be it.

Upon reaching the Westminster fight club, Tess' two brothers went inside, but Polly nervously hung back, looking around her several times to see if anyone had noticed her. She was excited, but still unsure. The entrance to the club was a simple inconspicuous door under an archway in the side of a building. It was just off the main road, but not exactly tucked away in a back alley. People were casually walking past, not giving the door, or the two girls a second glance, but still Polly hovered.

"Are you coming?" Tess asked her friend. "Polly, we've gone through all this trouble. Don't let it be for nothing."

Polly nodded and slowly followed Tess. Tess pushed the green, wooden door open, and the girls stepped inside. The first thing that hit Polly was the smell. Smoke, sweat and alcohol, mostly wine and sherry, but several men and women were downing ale. The club itself was done out like a posh gentleman's club, only with a huge fighting ring in the centre. It wasn't as busy as Polly had expected it to be, and the clientele were more high class than she'd expected. Polly was surprised to see some women here, but it was mostly men, some shirtless which made Polly blush slightly, and of course, gang members. Polly looked around, but there was no sign of Jacob. It looked like this trip was going to be a waste of time.

The girls walked down the short staircase and into the main crowd. Several men gave them sideways glances, but Polly pretended not to notice. Everybody in the room looked like they were having fun, and Polly quickly found herself intoxicated by the atmosphere. Two men were going at it in the ring, and although Polly had been initially shocked by the sounds of the punches and bones breaking, she found herself quite enjoying herself, and was even tempted to place a bet. Polly caught sight of a group of green and yellow clad men and women. Polly nudged Tess, who was watching the fight.

"They're the Rooks, aren't they?" Polly asked her friend, discreetly pointing at the gang. Tess nodded.

"That's them. No sign of their boss though," Tess replied, looking round.

"If he is their boss," Polly pointed out. "We don't know for sure." 

Polly decided that if Jacob didn't show in five minutes, she was leaving. As exciting as this was, Polly still didn't really like being around lots of people, and she had no idea what to say to Jacob if she saw him anyway. Suddenly one of the men in the ring hit the floor hard, clearly having been knocked unconscious. The other guy was declared the winner, and the loser was dragged out of the ring. There was a few minutes of chatter, before another brute stepped into the ring. Polly looked at the bald headed man in red shorts. Somehow she instantly knew he was a Blighter, and the insults the Rooks were throwing at him made her even more sure of this. The brute caught Polly's eye and winked at her, taking her by surprise. She quickly looked away. Then suddenly she heard someone call out,

"Frye! You're up!"

Polly spun round again just as Jacob climbed into the ring. Her mouth fell open and she clamped her hand onto Tess' wrist tightly. A little too tightly.

"Ow! Polly you're hurting me! Ow, ow! Polly let go!"

But Polly wasn't listening. Her blue eyes stayed transfixed on Jacob Frye. The top hat and long black coat that Polly was used to seeing him in had gone. In fact, so had the waistcoat, shirt and red necktie. Jacob was completely naked from the waist up, and Polly, well, she was impressed. His shilling necklace that Polly had never really taken much notice of before hung proudly around his neck, almost like a trophy of some sort. He had two tattoos, one on the left side of his chest of a bird in flight, another on the top of his left arm. He had a modest amount of chest hair on his chest, trailing down to his navel. Polly's eyes took in every inch of him in awe. Obviously Polly had thought he was attractive before, but this was new. She could feel her cheeks burning up and her corset on her purple day dress had suddenly become very tight around her chest.

"Oh wow! He...he has his...nipples on show," she whispered, still gripping Tess's wrist. Her friend yanked her arm free.

"Oh Polly Rae. I don't know whether to hug you, or throw you in the Thames," Tess sighed, rubbing her sore wrist. "Of course he does. Men have nipples too you know. And put your tongue back in. There are plenty of other shirtless men in the room."

"Yes, but the other shirtless men don't look like that!" Polly hissed, edging closer to the fighting ring. Tess followed.

"Meh. He's a bit...chubby." Tess shrugged.

"I like chubby."

"Polly, this is the first time you've ever been attracted to a man, you don't know what you like," Tess sighed. Polly stopped and looked at her friend seriously.

"I like him," she said firmly. "Isn't that why I'm here? Why I lied to my parents. Why I drugged my chaperone. Why I've come to a fight club!"

"Saying it all out loud makes me realise that we're a little crazy," Tess muttered. "And we're here to find out if he is actually leader of the Rooks."

"Well considering they're all shouting at him 'Go for it Boss!', I think we have our answer," Polly pointed out to her friend. Polly didn't know whether she was happy about that answer or not. It id make her slightly nervous. She was a little miffed that he hadn't told her, but on the other hand they had only just met really, and it was none of her business. But if he liked her enough to kiss her, why couldn't he share this information? And was he hiding anything else?

The fight began, and Polly watched nervously as the two men sparred with each other. Polly flinched every time Jacob took a punch, but it didn't seem to bother him. Polly had pushed her way to the front, and she got so caught up in the atmosphere that she actually started cheering Jacob on. And that's when he stopped. Jacob turned round quickly, and his hazel eyes locked with Polly's blue ones. Polly gave a timid little wave, and Jacob smiled broadly, although Polly could tell he was somewhat confused. Jacob then did something he had _never_ done before. He threw in the towel.

"Alright, I'm done. You win, congratulations," he said cheerfully to his opponent, and ignoring everyone's gasps and disappointed shouting, Jacob hopped out of the ring and landed in front of Polly. She would of been lying if she'd said she didn't have an urge to kiss him again, but messing it up once was enough for her. The other urge she had was to touch him, and she was finding that very difficult to resist. It didn't help when Jacob touched her. He took her hand and quickly pulled her down a side corridor. There were only three other people down there. A couple kissing against a wall, and a drunk man, rolling around on the floor. None of them noticed the two newcomers. Polly didn't have a chance to resist, not that she would of done anyway.

"Well this is the last place I would expect to find you," Jacob chuckled, and Polly couldn't help but notice that he hadn't released her hand.

"It was Tess' idea really," Polly laughed. The smile fell from Jacob's face.

"Oh."

Polly suddenly felt awful. Had he thought it had been her decision to visit him here? More importantly, had he hoped she would? It certainly seemed that way to Polly.

"Not that I didn't want to come," she said quickly. "I'm actually quite enjoying myself."

"Glad to hear it," Jacob replied. There was a short silence between the two of them. Polly's concentration slipped slightly as she suddenly felt Jacob's thumb lightly drawing circles on the back of her hand. She glanced down, but didn't move or tell him to stop. Those tummy butterflies had surfaced again. As she looked back up the first thing her eyeline connected with was Jacob's chest, and again she had to resist the urge not to run her hand through his chest hair. Polly blushed at her own thoughts and looked back up into Jacob's eyes.

"Aren't...ehem...aren't you cold?" Polly asked him, shuffling slightly. Jacob grinned.

"No. But if you'd rather I put my shirt back on-"

"No it's nice! I mean fine! I...I mean if you're comfortable in...that," Polly babbled, feeling like a total idiot. Jacob couldn't help laughing at her. And he realised that his attraction to her wasn't her looks, although he did find her very pretty. It was her quirkiness he lo- liked. She wasn't like the Rook girls, tough and bolshie, but neither was she like other upper class girls, walking around like she was better than everyone else. Polly was just Polly. And Jacob was fascinated by her. Of course the feeling was very mutual.

"So..." Jacob said, finally releasing Polly's hand and rubbing the back of his neck. "Don't I get another kiss?"

Polly was momentarily stunned. She didn't know what had shocked her more; his forwardness or the fact that he actually wanted to kiss her again. She thought she'd ruined that whole moment. And although she did really want to kiss Jacob again, she regrettably shook her head.

"I made enough of a fool of myself last time I think," she said sheepishly. "I really don't know how to kiss."

"I didn't know how to fight. You learn," Jacob pointed out. "So you laughed. Big deal. Just don't laugh this time."

"I can't help it now, you've made me laugh by saying tha-"

Polly didn't have chance to finish her sentence. Jacob's hand had flown to her neck and he pulled her to him, joining their lips. Polly actually felt better that she'd been caught off guard, but it still didn't change the fact that she didn't know what she was doing. So she just relaxed and let Jacob take control. His lips parted hers, and Polly felt a tingle shoot down her back as his tongue brushed against hers. It was actually easier and more comfortable than Polly had thought. She didn't know what to do with her hands though. She felt touching his chest would be inappropriate, although she was tempted to run her hands over it. But at least she didn't laugh this time. However, just as Jacob was deepening the kiss and things were getting more passionate, to the point where Polly was about to reach up and put her arms around his neck, they were interrupted.

"Sorry to disturb you," Polly heard Tess giggle, and the pair of them broke apart. Polly scowled at her friend who was poking her head round the corner.

"No you're not," Polly muttered. Tess turned to Jacob.

"Anyway, I bet money on your fight Sir Jacob Frye," Tess told Jacob with a frown. "So I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to get back in the ring."

Jacob grinned and looked at Polly. "Have you bet on my fight?"

"I don't have any money with me," Polly told him.

"Alright, I'll make a bet with you. If I lose, I'll buy you a drink," Jacob offered. Polly laughed.

"Oh no. I got into enough trouble for that last time."

"A small drink then."

"And if you win?" Polly asked curiously. Jacob's grin stayed in place, but there was now a more serious tone to his voice.

"You have to come back to my train with me," he put to her. Polly faltered. First of all; train? So he not only had a gang, but a train too? Was there no end to this man's surprises? But dare she go back with him? She knew Nancy would only stay out cold for so long. What would happen if she woke up to find Polly gone? Polly's eyes flicked to Tess, who was shaking her head desperately and mouthing 'No!' Jacob, obviously seeing her hesitate, tried to encourage her a little. "Polly really it's a win win for you, it's a very nice train."

Polly burst out laughing, and despite Tess' silent protests, she held out her hand for Jacob to shake. "Very well Sir Jacob. You have yourself a deal."

 

 


	7. The Train

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jacob introduces Polly to his little crime syndicate, and the pair grow closer. However, the rebellious young girl suddenly finds herself in danger...

Jacob won his fight. Of course he did. Which meant Polly lost her bet. She had to go back to Jacob's train with him. If she was honest with herself, she did actually want to see this mysterious train of his. Plus it was more time she got to spend with Jacob. But Tess had doubts. She knew men better than Polly did, and she felt the need to warn her friend.

"Polly, you do know what he wants, don't you?" Tess asked her friend seriously, as Jacob was off getting dressed.

"To show me his train," Polly shrugged innocently. Tess laughed.

"Oh yes, he's going to show you his train alright!" Tess told her. "Polly, the man wants to bed you!"

"Don't be ridiculous! We've only just met! Kind of."

"Oh I'm sorry, were you not on the other end of that kiss? Because from where I was standing, it looked pretty intense!" Tess argued. "Polly, from my experience, there is only one reason a man takes a woman home with him. And you could get into an awful amount of trouble if you're caught."

Tess was right. Girls were not supposed to be seen with a man unless they were married, particularly one of lower class. Polly still didn't believe her friend when it came her assumption that Jacob wanted to be intimate with her, whether it was through naivety or innocence. Of course there were other issues. Time, for a start. How long would it be before Nancy woke up? Also, Polly had promised to be home by eight. It was six now. Another thing bugging her was the whole gang leader situation. Polly knew enough about these gangs to know that they didn't just fight, they killed. Did that mean Jacob was a killer too? Also...what if Tess was right? She and Jacob had known each other for such a short time. Was she ready for that? If he suggested it what on earth would she do then? She didn't want to explain all this to Jacob and make herself sound like a child, but she was mostly worried about her parent's reaction if she was late back.

"I can't do this Tess," Polly sighed dejectedly. "I want to but I can't. I still feel like I have some invisible leash around my neck. Besides, I think I've been rebellious enough for one night."

"Good choice, let's go."

"I can't just leave without telling Jacob. Wait for me outside, I won't be a minute."

Polly waited nervously for Jacob to return. She didn't really know what to say to him. She was a little angry at herself for backing out. Why couldn't she just stand up to her parents? She'd done it at her birthday party, so what was different this time? Suddenly Jacob reappeared, but Polly almost didn't recognise him. The long black trench coat and top hat that she was so used to seeing him in were gone, replaced with a shorter, brown coat and a black tatty little flat cap. His fancy, green waistcoat was now a dark blue, and his white shirt was poking out from under it. He didn't look like Sir Jacob Frye, nor did he look like some fearsome gang leader. He looked like...well...simply Jacob. Polly surprisingly found him just as attractive, if not more. The butterflies in her tummy started whizzing round again, and in that split second she made a decision that would completely change her life....

* * *

They left the green carriage parked just outside Victoria station. Jacob requested that two Rooks stay with the still unconscious Nancy, and were to inform him and Polly straight away if she woke up. It had been Jacob's plan to bring Nancy along, so at least Polly could be there if she woke up. It had also meant him admitting to being the leader of the Rooks, to which Polly had pretended she had no idea. Jacob was actually a little surprised she didn't know, but that was him being a little egotistic maybe. Polly had asked him if he had any more secrets he wished to share, but he had laughed and said no. Tess had not been happy with her friend's decision, but nothing she could say would change Polly's mind. So Tess went home, and Polly went with Jacob, praying she didn't get caught out.

Walking into the station, Polly couldn't help but notice Jacob's strange wrist bracer again. Several times she'd had to stop herself asking what it was, but curiosity got the better of her this time, and she couldn't help herself.

"May I ask you a question?" She said politely to Jacob as they climbed the stairs into the station.

"Sure."

"What is that thing on your arm?" She asked. Jacob stopped them at the top of the stairs. He hesitated for a moment, like he wasn't sure whether to tell her or not. Then he grinned.

"Watch," he said, and with a flick of his wrist, a deadly looking silver blade shot out from the bracer. Polly gave a startled little yelp and jumped back in alarm.

"Goodness Jacob! That could hurt someone!" She gasped. Jacob retracted the blade with a shake of his head.

"It's kind of supposed to," he chuckled, finding Polly not only amusing, but also quite adorable. "It's a weapon."

"And you think you need a weapon walking around the streets of London?" Polly asked, frowning.

"Polly, I don't think you and I walk the same streets," Jacob said seriously, starting to walk again. Polly hurried to keep up with his long strides. Then suddenly, they came face to face with what Jacob called home. "Anyway, allow me to introduce Bertha." 

Polly gave a little gasp when she saw the train, not because it was beautiful, but because she'd actually seen it before, pulling out of this very station, just days before she had met Jacob. It was made up of four coaches, each one black and cream, with a cream roof and patterned windows. The doors were mahogany, and the train engine itself was a beautiful black, red and gold. A cheeky part of Polly wanted to ask how Jacob could afford such luxury, after all, she had no idea what he did for a living, but she would never be so rude. She and Jacob entered the third carriage of the train, which was done out like the inside of a pub. There was one booth, one sofa, and two tables. At the bottom of the carriage, on the left hand side, was a small bar. Sat in the booth were four Rooks, two men and two women. At one of the tables sat a large, bald Rook, with a younger fellow in blue dungarees and a hat similar to Jacob's. Evie was absent Polly noticed, but she didn't like to ask where she was, it was none of her business. Leaning against the bar was another male Rook, with a moustache and bowler hat. Polly's cheeks turned a deep shade of red as everyone turned to look at her as she walked in with Jacob. The women smiled warmly at her, while the men grinned at Jacob. Whether or not this was the first time Jacob had brought a woman back to the train, Polly didn't know. And she certainly didn't ask. But she could tell the Rooks were curious and somewhat amused. Jacob introduced them all, and considering the were members of an infamous gang, Polly found them all very friendly. She immediately began to relax, and told herself to just enjoy it. This was an adventure for her, and she was determined to enjoy it for as long as it lasted.

Polly's evening with Jacob and the Rooks was a blast for her. It was full of laughter and singing and drinking, and Polly got to know Jacob a bit better. Polly was careful not to drink too much, but she was having such a good time that she practically forgot about Nancy and her parents. She danced and sang 'Pretty Little Polly Perkins' with the man at the bar, not intoxicated by alcohol, but the people and atmosphere around her. She forgot about Tess too, and the warning she had given her. Polly knew she'd been wrong. Or had she? After an hour in the 'pub', Jacob disappeared for a few minutes. Polly was mid-conversation with Jenny, a female Rook, so she didn't follow him. But he came back for her. He took her hand and led her in the next coach along, shutting the door behind them.

This coach was very different. There were two bookcases either side of the entrance. A large sofa filled up a part of the room, next to it, a combination safe. On the right hand wall was a huge curtain like thing, covering part of the wall, almost as if it were hiding something. At the bottom end of the room was a desk and chair, on the desk a clutter of paper. The door next to the desk was shut. Polly liked it in here, it felt warm and welcoming, if a bit untidy. Then suddenly something on the desk caught her eye. A small plant pot containing a bunch of pansies. Polly didn't say anything, but she couldn't help a happy smile creep onto her face. Either Jacob had sent her the flowers, or this was a pretty big coincidence.

"This is my coach," Jacob told her, trying to sound casual, but Polly noticed he suddenly looked a bit...nervous, and he was avoiding eye contact. Which then made Polly feel nervous. She'd never even imagined herself being in this situation. How on earth was she going to handle it? When Jacob finally managed to look at her, she smiled at him, arms folded across her chest.

"It's lovely. Now tell me Jacob, why have you brought me to your coach?" She asked him outright. She knew the only way she was going to get through this situation was with honesty and blatancy. If Tess was right, Polly had two choices; either say goodnight, or stay and see what happened. And at that moment, she really didn't know which one she wanted more. When Jacob didn't reply to her question, she sighed. "Jacob, I may be a little naïve, but I'm not stupid. Plus, Tess kind of warned me about this."

"Warned you about what exactly?" Jacob asked her, but he knew exactly what she was talking about. To say that he was pretty keen on the idea of sleeping with Polly would of been an understatement. But he knew that if Polly had never kissed anyone before him, chances were she probably hadn't done anything else either. And given her personality, this whole thing could turn out to be very...interesting.

"Oh come on Jacob. You've brought me to what I'm presuming is your bedroom, you've locked the door behind us-"

"It's not locked."

"Then lock it."

The words slipped out of Polly's mouth of their own accord, not even consulting with her brain first. She couldn't believe what she'd just said. The words didn't even sound like her own. Was she really going to do this? Was she really going to break one of the most serious rules bestowed upon young women? Prove Tess right? No, of course she wasn't. Girls like her didn't do that. Then again, neither did they get slightly drunk, or run away from their party, or fall in a lake, or go to a fight club, or kiss men they barely knew, and they most certainly did not drug their chaperone. Polly had done all that. What was the harm in one more little indiscretion?

"What did you just say?" Jacob asked her, looking and sounding extremely surprised. Polly could tell he had not expected that reaction. She herself had not expected that reaction. Two choices. Now was the moment she had to choose.

"I said lock the door," she replied quietly, her voice shaking a little. Jacob hesitated, then sat himself down on the couch.

"You lock the door," he requested with a grin, casually leaning back on the sofa. Polly knew what he was doing. He was testing her. If she locked that door herself it meant she wanted to stay and end this night the same way Jacob did. Polly bit her lip nervously and Jacob started fidgeting on the couch, "Aright Polly, if you're not going to lock the door, you need to stop doing that."

Polly couldn't help laughing, although she wasn't quite sure why. Maybe it was nerves. Maybe it was excitement. She wasn't sure. But one thing she was sure of; she was locking that damn door. A little nervously she went over to the door and pulled the small bolt across, shutting herself and Jacob out from the rest of the world. Then she joined Jacob on the couch. As inexperienced as she was, Polly knew she needed to make some sort of move here, because Jacob was clearly waiting for the go ahead. She removed his tatty, little flat cap and placed it on the floor. She didn't want to just throw it somewhere, that would be rude. Polly took hold of Jacob's collar, and pulled him down on top of her.

"Are you sure about this?" Jacob asked her seriously. Polly looked into his beautiful hazel eyes, and after a few seconds, nodded. Jacob smiled at her, and closed the gap between them with a passionate kiss...

 

* * *

 Polly wouldn't let Jacob take her home, not after what happened last time, but he insisted on having her and Nancy escorted back by a group of Rooks. Nancy woke up on the carriage ride back. Polly explained to her that she'd nodded off at Tess', and Nancy seemed to buy it, although she said she was slightly confused about Polly's new friends. She also commented on Polly's auburn hair, which was no longer tied back in a braid, but flowing freely over her shoulders. Blushing bright red, Polly lied and said her clip had fallen out, and she'd lost it. It wasn't an entire lie, she really didn't have any idea where her clip had gone, and she hadn't had time to search for it. She was already pushing it to be back home on time.

Suddenly, she heard shouting from outside the carriage, angry voices and horses hooves getting closer. Confused, Polly went to stick her head out of the window to see what was going on, but one of the female Rooks she was sitting with pulled her back quickly. Not a moment too soon either, as gunshots rang out into the night. The voices were now alongside the carriage, which suddenly gave a violent lurch, as if it had been rammed. Polly screamed in fear as she fell off her seat and onto the floor. Another scream pierced the air, and Polly watched in horror as the lifeless body of the Rook who was driving their carriage fell past the window. The shouting continued, and the Rook carriage suddenly slammed against a wall and came to a halt. The impact knocked Nancy out cold. 

"Stay here!" The female Rook ordered Polly, and she and her friend jumped out of the carriage. Polly sat shaking and crying as she heard the fighting outside. And then...it went silent for few seconds. A sick feeling in Polly's stomach began to rise. The carriage door was flung open, and she gave a scream as she was dragged out by largely built man in a red jacket. He pinned the terrified young girl against the carriage and put his hand across her mouth to stifle her noise. Polly quickly took a look around her. It was a bloodbath. All the Rooks were dead, along with two members of who Polly guessed were the Blighters. Tears streamed down her cheeks as the man pulled a knife on her.

"You're going to shut up. Otherwise I'll cut your tongue out. Do you understand me?" He threatened her. Polly nodded. "Good girl. Now, we're going for a little trip. And I'm going to leave this as a gift  for our friend Mr Frye."

If she could of screamed for Jacob she would of done a thousand times. But she was helpless. Polly squeezed her eyes shut as the man raised his knife to her face. She the felt him slice a lock of her hair off. Polly didn't see what he did with it, she daren't open her eyes. When she finally did, they met the cold, grey eyes of her attacker.

"Let's go Miss Eden," he whispered menacingly, and he grabbed Polly's hair and hit her head hard against the carriage. Pain exploded inside her, she felt her legs go weak, then her world faded to black......

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I quickly want to thank Natasha, Nicole and everyone else who have supported this work and given me such positive feedback. It really helps to know that there are some people enjoying this.


	8. Taking The Bait

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Frye twins discover Polly is missing, and the hunt for the young girl begins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little filler chapter from the twins p.o.v. Again, sorry about the amount of dialogue.

_News travelled fast in the city of London, if not through the gangs, but through the urchins who roamed the streets, or the prostitutes who did the same. So news of the ambush on the Rook carriage didn't take long to reach Evie Frye's ears. However, as she made her way to the scene of the crime, she noticed more policemen on the streets than usual. Too many to be investigating a fight between two gangs. They happened all the time. No, Evie could feel something was off here. She made a mental note to tell Jacob they had lost some Rooks, then rounded a corner to see the disaster for herself._

_Evie had heard a woman crying from a distance away, but she wasn't quite prepared for what she saw. The green Rook carriage was slammed against a wall, almost on it's side. Four dead Rooks lay in pools of their own blood, alongside two dead Blighters. About six policemen were on the scene, including Sergeant Abberline, a friend of the Frye twins. He was trying to console a near hysterical elderly woman. Evie went over to see if she could aid the situation._

_"Ma'am? Were you involved in this accident?" Evie asked the crying woman, who nodded. Evie thought it strange that a woman of obvious upper class would be with a bunch of Rooks, but she didn't get a chance to press that matter. The old woman's next words peaked Evie's interest more._

_"They've taken her! They must have taken her!" She sobbed, blowing her nose into a handkerchief._

_"That's all I can get out of her," Abberline sighed, looking worried and agitated. "That, and one name."_

_"Who does she mean?" Evie enquired, confused._

_"Miss Polly Rae Eden," the Sergeant replied. Evie's heart sank, and not just through worry for the young girl. She remembered Polly from the birthday party. The girl who had run off with Jacob. Evie's heart plummeted further when she remembered how the pair had looked at one another. This wasn't going to go down well on the train._

_"It's not good Miss Fyre," Abberline said, his voice full of panic. "Miss Eden's father is an important man-"_

_"I don't think it's Polly's father you need to worry about Sergeant," Evie told him, moving him away from the lady and the other policemen. "Polly is a ...friend of Jacob's."_

_"What does that mean?"_

_"It means Sergeant, you can expect more bloodshed."_

* * *

There were pros and cons to being the leader of an infamous gang, Jacob had found. One con being that he wasn't immune to the Rooks' teasing. It was a testament to how well he got on with the gang that they felt comfortable poking fun at him. As he'd expected he might, he got a little bit of stick when he re-joined them after saying goodnight to Polly.

"Back so soon Jacob?" Frank, the biggest Rook asked his boss, with a grin. He called to the others in the coach, "Alright, who had forty-five minutes?"

"Very funny," Jacob sighed, throwing himself down onto one of the booth sofas.

"Where is Miss Polly anyway?" Jenny enquired curiously.

"Probably getting dressed," Frank joked, and the others all laughed and jeered.

"She's gone home, alright?" Jacob told them all, trying to sound frustrated, but he couldn't help a tiny, smug grin creep onto his face. He couldn't deny that his night with Polly had...eventually ended on a high. Still, there was a tiny bit of panic settling in the pit of his stomach. Jacob Frye had been in countless fights, from street brawls to full on gang wars. He'd assassinated Templars and saved urchins from burning factories. He lived off the adrenaline rush. But he couldn't remember a single time when his heart had raced as fast as it did when he'd looked into Polly's eyes. And that scared him more than any Blighter's blade.

It was another hour before Evie arrived back at the train. She hurried into the coach, brow furrowed as it always was when she was concerned. She knew there was no easy way to tell Jacob this, so she was just going to have to be blunt.

"Something's happened," she said breathlessly. Jacob didn't even look up from his gauntlet that he'd been adjusting.

"This is London. Something's always happening," he replied casually.

"A Rook carriage was ambushed tonight," Evie told him seriously. Jacob's head shot up, suddenly alert. He was always gutted when any of the Rooks got hurt, or worse, but he had a sick feeling that this was something else. Evie continued, a little more gently now. "Jacob, Polly was with them - you can explain to me why later - but now she's missing."

No. Surely not. She was wrong. She _had_ to be wrong. Jacob felt a mix of anger, sadness and guilt rise within him, and he slammed his fist down onto the table in front of him, making poor Jenny jump.

"Damn it all!" He ranted. "Why didn't I take her home?"

"Because you thought she'd be safe with the Rooks. Chief, this ain't your fault," Jenny tried to reassure him, but nothing could make Jacob feel any better about this. Evie slowly took something out of her pocket and placed it on the table in front of Jacob. It was a lock of auburn hair. Evie asked him if he recognised it. What a stupid question. Of course he recognised it. He'd spent half the night running his fingers through the rest of it. Jacob just stared at the small piece of hair. He couldn't bring himself to touch it. That would just make this nightmare real. It was a rare time where he was actually speechless.

"What do you want us to do Boss?" Frank asked Jacob, and all the Rooks rose to their feet. Jacob didn't reply. He was trying desperately to think of a plan, but his brain wouldn't engage, and besides, plans weren't his thing. Seeing her brother fall flat, Evie took command.

"Make sure every Rook from here to Whitechapel knows one of our allies is missing," she instructed firmly. "Give them a description of Miss Eden so they know who they're looking for. Question any Blighters you see on the streets. And...keep your eye out for Templars. I believe our old friends are back."

The Rooks took off to follow Evie's instructions. Jacob changed into his Outdoorsman outfit, grabbed his weapons, and the Frye twins hit the streets of London, Evie focussed and Jacob's eyes burning with fury. If they had broken so much as a fingernail on Polly, heads would roll. 


	9. Kept In The Dark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Polly finds herself being held captive by the Templars, and learns that Jacob hasn't been entirely honest with her. Meanwhile, Jacob, Evie and the Rooks search for the missing girl.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologise for the fight scene, that's all I'm saying lol

Polly groaned weakly. Her eyelids felt heavy as she tried to force open her eyes. The headache she felt was like someone constantly pounding on the back of her skull. It hurt so bad she felt sick. The air around her was cold, the floor was damp and the smell was vile. Upon opening her eyes, Polly could see she was in an underground room that she could only presume was part of a sewer system. The only light was that of about a couple of dozen small gas lamps, dotted around the room. Polly's arms ached, and it took her a minute to realise that they were tied round the back of a wooden chair. The rough rope she was tied with rubbed against the skin of her wrists. Another look around the room, and Polly could see five Blighters, three male and two female, and two men dressed in black. They each wore a white armband emblazoned with a red cross that Polly wasn't familiar with.

Tears pricked at the young girl's blue eyes. There were so many questions running through her mind; Where was she? How did she get here? Who were all these people? What did they from her? The pain in Polly's head was so bad she was almost sick. She gave a quiet cough, but not quiet enough to prevent attracting the attention of the two nearest Blighters. They both spun round to look at her, then one called out to the black clad men,

"Oi! The girl's awake!"

One of the men grinned wickedly and slowly walked over to Polly. She could feel herself starting to shake, through nerves and the cold air. But she was determined to stay strong. She couldn't quite believe what was happening. How had she gotten herself into this mess? The man stood in front of her. His face looked even more menacing in the dim light around them.

"Good evening Miss Eden. It's a pleasure to meet you at last," he said to her in a low voice.

"How do you know my name? And why have you brought me here?" Polly asked in a whisper, her tears finally falling.

"Oh I know a lot about you Polly Rae. Who your friend's are, what you've been up to-"

"Oh god, you're not going to tell my parents are you?" Polly panicked. She didn't know who these men were. They could want anything. "But if it's money you want then-"

"No girl, that's not what I care about," the man sighed, rubbing his forehead in frustration. "Do you know what the term 'leverage' means Miss Eden?"

"Yes..."

"Well you, my dear, are leverage. When your Assassin friend arrives, which he will, we'll do a straight swop. Our Piece of Eden...for his," the man went on to explain, pacing back and forth in front of Polly. His words confused her. She could hardly think straight as it was, with her head still being in so much pain. Assassin friend? Polly barely had any friends. And what on earth was a 'Piece of Eden'?

"I think you may have the wrong girl, Sir," Polly said with a sniff. She hated the fact that she couldn't wipe her face, although she knew that her appearance was the least of her worries. "I don't have an Assassin friend. I highly doubt I would associate myself with someone like that."

Her captors all looked at each other and laughed. More tears fell from Polly's eyes. Being laughed at was not a feeling Polly enjoyed very much, and the situation was bad enough as it was.

"You mean to tell me you have no idea? I'm not sure I believe that Miss Eden," the man chuckled, having stopped his pacing to face her. "And if it is true, your lover has a lot of explaining to do." 

"What are you talking about, I don't have a lo-" Polly faultered. Oh God. Did they mean _Jacob?_ Surely not. He would of told her. He'd told her about the Rooks eventually, and a little reluctantly in truth. Also...was he even her lover? Polly didn't really know how to describe their relationship, having never been in one before. It certainly wasn't conventional, and what she'd done would be shocking to any other woman. Did she regret it? With the news she'd just got, and looking at her situation now...she honestly wasn't sure. She couldn't deny that her affection may have crossed the barrier from lust to love, something she hadn't been expecting. Now on top of that, Jacob was not only a gang leader, but an Assassin too. Did she care about that? She wasn't sure. But Assassin or not, she did care about the man himself.

Polly jumped and gave a frightened yelp as the man clicked his fingers in front of her, snapping her out of her daze.

"And the penny drops," he said quietly, putting his face so close to hers she could smell his vile breath.

"You're not going to hurt Jacob are you?" Polly asked him pleadingly, starting to sob. The captors all looked at each other and grinned.

"No," the man replied, walking away from the terrified young girl. "Of course not."

* * *

Jacob grabbed the scrawny man by the lapels of his jacket and slammed him against the side of a carriage. An hour he, Evie and the Rooks had spent looking for Polly, and Jacob's patience was wearing thin. They'd spoken to Sergeant Abberline, he was no closer to finding anything. Nancy had taken them to see Tess, but she hadn't seen her friend, but at least she was out looking for her now. They had the Little Rooks and urchins on the case too. Evie had tried to get Jacob to talk to Polly's parents, but he'd refused, knowing that would just antagonize the situation. He didn't think they needed to know where their daughter had been, and they certainly didn't need to know what she'd been doing. All that mattered now was finding her.

"Come on Trev, you must know something," Jacob growled at the man in his grip. "I see you with those Blighters at the fight club all the time!"

"It don't mean I know what they get up to Jacob!" Trev insisted, his voice shaking. "We just have drinks. Gamble a bit. I ain't one of them!"

"Speaking of gambling, how would your wife feel knowing exactly how much money you've lost betting against me? In fact, hasn't she banned you from the fight clubs? I can't imagine her being too impressed if she knew you'd been back there," Jacob said with a smirk. He needed to get information out of this guy somehow, so why not try blackmail? Jacob enjoyed watching the runtish man squirm in his grip, clearly panicking.

"Don't tell her Jacob, I beg ya! She's only just let me back into the bedroom-"

"Then tell me what you know!" Jacob fired at him, flicking out his hidden blade. He didn't have time to play silly buggers. Every minute Polly was away was another minute where she was in danger. For saying the Templars were using her as bait, they weren't making her exactly easy to find. Maybe they enjoyed playing this game. Another way to torture the Master Assassin. Although, Jacob didn't feel like one. At that moment, he couldn't of had a lower opinion of himself.

"Jacob," Evie warned her brother, nodding towards Trev's house. Jacob followed her gaze. In the downstairs window, two young children had their noses pressed against the glass, watching anxiously as some bloke threatened their father. Jacob immediately retracted his blade and released Trev, who weakly slid down the carriage and onto the floor. Jacob wasn't about to slaughter a man in front of his children, that wasn't the kind of person he was. Besides, he had a creed to follow, and for all intense and purpose, Trev was technically just an innocent bystander who hung out with the wrong people. Jacob couldn't kill an innocent person. And as angry as he was, Jacob wouldn't give the Templars the satisfaction of pushing him to that point.

"They your kids?" Jacob asked the man. He nodded. "Well you might want to give them some extra pocket money, because they just saved your life."  

"The...The Blighters have a secret stronghold that wasn't taken by the Rooks," Trev told the two Assassins quietly, stumbling to his feet. "Please Jacob, that's all I know, I swear."

"Where's the stronghold?" Evie demanded to know.

"The Strand. I don't know exactly where."

The Assassins took off towards the borough, keeping to the streets instead of the rooftops in case they saw anything. Evie had to hurry to keep up with Jacob. She'd never seen him like this before. Clearly Polly was important to him. Evie wanted to ask just how important, but she felt now wasn't the time. Jacob was frustrated that the Templars were making this so difficult. If they wanted to kill him, fine. Enough with the stupid games. He knew the Templars were behind this, because as horrid as they were, the Blighters didn't randomly kidnap innocent young girls. Jacob was furious with himself. How could he of let Polly get dragged into this? Why didn't he think it might put her in danger? He'd seen the Blighters spying on them. He'd seen them following them. He'd ignored all the warning signs, and for what? Yes, he and Polly were closer now. But at what cost?

Upon arriving in The Strand the next step was finding the stronghold. The lack of Blighters on the streets was a little unnerving. They had to be somewhere.

They were soon found. They seemed to be fond of ambushes as of late, two in one night was wonderful for the Blighters. Jacob and Evie suddenly found themselves surrounded by six burly men in red, all brandishing daggers and cleavers. Jacob pulled out his Kukri and Evie twirled her cane sword around in her hand.

"Not that I wouldn't love a good fight, but I really don't have time for you guys tonight," Jacob told them, sounding more irritated than afraid.

"Then we'll make this quick," one man fired back, and he immediately launched a knife in Jacob's direction, which the Assassin just managed to dodge. Jacob's anger bubbled to the surface yet again.

"Just tell us where the girl is or fuck off!" Jacob yelled, Kukri at the ready. It was glinting in the dim light of the street lamps. It wanted to taste blood. And boy was it going to.

"Jacob! Watch your language," Evie scolded her brother, but she too had released the blade sheathed inside her cane, and was ready for the impending assault.

They came at the twins fast, almost like a gang war, only this time the Assassins were outnumbered. Not that it seemed to bother the Fryes. Jacob plunged his Kukri into the stomach of the nearest Blighter. As he removed it, he quickly pulled his gun on a Blighter attacking from behind. The shot rang out into the night, alongside shouts and screams. Two down. Another Blighter ran at Jacob, dagger outstretched. Jacob grabbed mans arm and flicked his hidden blade into it, slicing veins and tendons. The Blighter gave a shriek, but didn't live long enough to endure the pain. Jacob's Kukri burst through the man's chest, and Jacob tossed him to one side. Three down. Jacob spun round, pistol in hand, just in time to stop a Blighter stabbing Evie in the back. A single headshot made four. Evie had disposed of the final two, and was just pulling the scythe end of her cane out of one of the men's skull.

"You have to give them credit for persistence," Jacob shrugged, wiping his Kukri clean on one of the less soiled Blighter jackets.

"Unfortunately, there's now no-one left to give us any information." Evie sighed, sheathing her knife. "There must be some more Blighters around somewhere. We'll just keep looking-"

"I don't have time to keep looking," Jacob snapped in frustration. "Polly's going through God knows what, and I have no idea where she is. This is all my fault anyway. If she gets hurt...I'll never forgive myself."

"I know you care about her. A lot it seems. Now, I don't know whether this is just a girl you've taken a fancy to, or whether you genuinely love her. And I don't think you know either. But I do know it's not your fault," Evie tried to reassure her twin. Jacob didn't reply. He couldn't stop believing it was his fault. Was this going to happen every time he tried to get close to someone? He was damn sure Polly wouldn't want anything to do with him after this, which hurt him, but he could understand that. Evie was right; he wasn't sure if what he felt for Polly was love. But he'd been eager to find out. That chance was gone now. Jacob kicked one of the dead bodies in anger. He should of just left her alone in the first place.

Suddenly, a green carriage pulled up alongside them and three Rooks jumped out, Jenny, Natasha and Bob. The two Rooks in the driving seat jumped down and joined the others.

"Any luck?" Jacob asked them immediately, his voice almost desperate.

"A bit actually Chief. A couple of kids said they saw a group of Blighters around this area, and one were carrying a girl," Jenny informed him seriously.

"So she could be right under our bloody noses," Jacob said, looking around him as if Polly might pop out from behind a wall any second. Natasha suddenly gave Jenny a slap on her arm and gasped.

"Hold on a second! Not our noses. Our feet! Has anyone thought to check the sewers?"

A silence fell upon the group. How the hell hadn't they thought of this sooner? Jacob would of felt like an idiot, but he already felt that way.

"Either you're a God damn genius, or we're all really stupid," he said to Natasha. "Where's the nearest entry to the sewers?"

"Covent Garden," Evie replied automatically. She remembered that's where Henry had been taken when he'd got captured. She didn't tell Jacob that's how she knew, and he didn't ask. He was already jumping onto the carriage. The Rooks climbed inside, and Evie sat beside Jacob. Evie felt the need to remind her brother that this could turn out to be another dead end.

"I know. But it's worth a try," Jacob shrugged, whipping the horses forward. "Unless you're afraid to get a bit mucky dear sister?"

Evie rolled her eyes and ignored him. She knew that before this night was out, Jacob would either have Polly back in his arms, or he would die trying. And she'd put good money on it not being the latter. 'Hold tight Polly,' the elder twin thought to herself. 'We're on our way.'


	10. Leave Them Underground

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jacob, Evie and the Rooks finally find Polly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the length of this chapter. Also apologies about the end. I got a tad of writer's block :(

Polly had lost track of time. She was tired, but she didn't dare fall asleep through fear of what these men might do to her. Not that she would be able to stop them while awake. Polly was no fighter, and she didn't have the energy within her to defend herself. Hunger was setting in too, making her feel even more weak. She started to wonder if anyone was coming for her. Jacob? Her parents? The Police? Anyone. She wasn't sure how long she'd been down here but surely someone had noticed her missing by now. Suddenly a thought occurred to Polly. A question she desperately needed the answer to. She gave a loud cough to get the attention of the two closest Blighters, who turned and scowled at her.

 "What?" The biggest brute asked, taking a bite out of an apple and spitting the pip onto the ground.

 "I'm sorry but...the woman who was in the carriage with me. The old lady. I'm sorry, I should say elderly - "

 "Get to the point, you pampered little brat!"

 "That's not very polite! I just want to know if the lady who was with me is alright?" Polly asked, half dreading the answer. Polly had a feeling that if Nancy was safe, she'd be handing in her notice.

 "The fat bird? We just left her there," the Blighter shrugged, taking another bite of his apple. Polly's mouth started watering. She was so hungry that she couldn't even think about Nancy now, let alone worry about her. Surely they wouldn't mind giving her just a little piece. When the other Blighter pulled out an apple too, Polly went for it.

 "Excuse me," she called out to them meekly. They didn't reply, only glared at her. Polly took a deep breath before starting her request. "I'm awfully hungry. And I know that's my own fault, I should of eaten with Tess. But anyway, I was wondering if you could spare me some apple?"

 Polly suddenly realised how the urchins and beggars felt every day on the streets. Polly had always liked to give a few coins out, but her mother scolded her for it. It didn't look like these thugs were going to be much more charitable either. The one with the fresh apple grinned at Polly.

 "Oh you want this?" He asked her. When Polly gave a tiny nod, he tossed the apple aside. It landed with a thud on the hard, stone floor, and was immediately set upon by two large rats. "You can have what the rats leave."

 Tears spilled from Polly's blue eyes.  She couldn't remember the last time she'd felt so scared and alone. What was she even doing here? She was just a normal girl from Westminster. This sort of stuff didn't happen to girls like her. Suddenly her wonderful adventure had taken a very dark turn, and Polly couldn't see any way out.

 By now the Blighters were getting restless, moaning that they were bored and wanted some action. Polly thought they just meant they wanted to brawl. However, when one of the men came over to her, a hungry look in his eyes, she realised that they had found another means to quench their boredom. Polly was helpless, tied up as she was, and her weak cries of help as the man unbuttoned the front of her dress seemed to fall on deaf ears. No-one else was paying them any attention, hidden away in the little corner. But Polly resisted. Her body may not have been untouched anymore, but she certainly wasn't about to let it be soiled by some disgusting stranger. Suddenly there was a shout from across the room. A female voice Polly hadn't heard yet.

 "Oi, Baz! What are you playing at?"

 Before the man could remove too much of her dress, Polly, realising her legs were still free, gave him a hard kick to the shin. He jumped back in pain and shock, but Polly ended up paying for her attempt at self-defence. Once the brute had recovered from Polly's attack, he growled in anger and she received a sharp, back-handed slap across her face. Polly's cheek felt like it was on fire, and she could feel a tiny drop of blood mix in with the tears rolling down her cheeks, from where the man's ring had cut her. She could barely breathe Polly looked down at the ground, her auburn locks hiding her face. She heard footsteps, lighter than those of the men, approach her.

 "Don't you be touching her like that!" Polly heard a woman fire at the brute angrily. He huffed.

 "What are you defending her for? You're a Blighter."

 "I'm also a woman. Now keep your hands to yourself or I'll chop 'em off!" The woman snapped. She gently grasped Polly's chin between thumb and forefinger, and lifted the young girl's head so she could see the damage to her cheek. "Well you just signed your death warrant with the Assassin. Good luck Baz."

 

* * *

 

Meanwhile, near the entrance to the sewer system in Covent Garden, the Frye twins and a group of Rooks were gathered. Only one Blighter was guarding the entrance itself, which didn't surprise Jacob. He wasn't expecting much resistance getting in there, that's where the Templars wanted him. It was finding them when in there that might be tricky. Jacob couldn't quite believe he was even in this situation. Apart from Evie, he had never cared about another person as much as he did Polly. Falling in love hadn't exactly been on his 'To-Do' list. He didn't even know if what he was feeling was love. But he did know he would do anything to stop Polly from getting hurt, and if that meant staying away from her after this...well...so be it.

 Jacob half listened to Evie reel off a plan about posting Rooks at the exit to the sewers in case the Templars tried to escape, and she, him, and a small number of Rooks would enter the sewers from here, quietly, taking the Templars and Blighters by surprise. Jacob was having much more fun imagining the pain he was going to inflict upon them. It wasn't until Evie gave him a hard nudge that he actually started paying attention. The group split, some Rooks heading off towards the exit, the others moving closer to the lone Blighter at the entrance. They needed him alive, so it was just a case of grabbing him unawares. Evie and Jacob had scanned the area for any hidden danger, but their vision caught no sign of red. They were good to go. Jacob and Evie hung back a little ways, and the elder Frye twin took this opportunity to interrogate her brother.

 "What are you expecting will happen after we get her out of there Jacob?" She asked him seriously. "Is she another friend of ours? Do you want to court her? Do you lo-"

 "Look let's just get her get her out safely first, alright?" Jacob snapped back, dodging his sister's questions like bullets. "I like to deal with my life one shit-storm at a time."

 "You can keep fighting this Jacob Frye," Evie sighed at her brother, "but this is one battle that will beat you eventually."

 "I've known this girl for what? A month? I barely know anything about her. Now can we go?"

Evie let the matter go, and they went ahead with the plan. The Rooks stopped while Jacob silently approached his prey. The unsuspecting Blighter was hit in the stomach by Jacob's strong fist, and the Assassin grabbed the man's arm and twisted it behind his back. Since he was winded from the punch, the Blighter barely made a sound. Evie and the Rooks came out of the shadows to join Jacob.

 "Bit risky to be out here alone," Jacob growled at the Blighter menacingly. "Now, you and I are going to go for a little walk. And you're going to show me where your friends have taken my friend."

 The Blighter nodded quickly, and led the group into the sewers. It was dark and damp and smelt vile, but Jacob didn't care. They hadn't known for sure that the Templars had taken Polly down here, but since the Blighter was leading them further under the streets of London, Jacob had a feeling that Natasha's guess had been right. Then again, it might be another trick. He didn't care. He wouldn't stop until Polly was safe. He'd kill every bloody Blighter and Templar left in London if he had to.

 After a couple of minutes of walking, voices could be heard from further down the tunnel. But the thing that caught Jacob's attention the hardest was crying. Polly's crying. An invisible hand squeezed at Jacob's heart, and anger and guilt started to rise within him again. He turned to the Rooks and told them to halt while he and Evie went ahead. Jacob tossed the Blighter aside, and slammed his fist onto the side of his head, knocking him out cold.

"Was that really necessary?" Evie scolded her brother quietly. Jacob shrugged.

 "I could of killed him. I didn't."

 The two Assassins made their way to the end of the tunnel, which looked out onto a room containing a few Blighters and a couple of Templars. And tied to a chair in a dark corner was Polly. 'At least she's alive,' Jacob thought to himself. He knew he needed to tread carefully here. Polly was still out of his reach, meaning she was still in danger. If he made a wrong move, he knew they wouldn't think twice about killing her. Polly was just bait, she meant nothing to them.

 None of the people below them were looking in the twins' direction, but one. When Polly looked up to shake her hair out of her face, her teary, blue eyes locked on Jacob, and she gave a small gasp. Jacob gestured at her to keep quiet, wanting to get the element of surprise, but the damage had been done. The female Blighter watching over Polly had heard her, and she followed her gaze and also spotted the Assassins lurking in the darkness. She called out to her boss, who spun round to face the Assassins.

 "Ah! At last! And two for one. How delightful," the Templar greeted them with a wicked grin, as the twins reluctantly stepped forward.

 "Well you didn't exactly make yourselves easy to find," Jacob pointed out irritably. "If you wanted to use the girl as bait, why not just hang her from the top of Big Ben?"

 "Oh for goodness' sake Jacob, don't give them ideas!" Polly whimpered desperately.

 "What do you want?" Evie asked the Templar seriously. Jacob didn't take his eyes off Polly. He wanted to both reassure her that she would be fine now, and make sure no-one else touched her. She looked calm, but Jacob could tell she was still terrified.

 "We want the artefact. We'll give you your Piece of Eden, if you give us ours," the Templar told Evie seriously. Jacob gave a little chuckle.

 "Are you lot still whinging about that thing?" He said, rolling his eyes. "Look, I've seen it in action, and it's not that great. Didn't do your boss man Starrick much good, did it? I suggest you find yourselves a new toy."

 "Or," the Templar said, slowly walking over to Polly. Jacob felt his blood beginning to boil. Every step the man took towards Polly felt like a personal attack on the Assassin, and Jacob was having none of it. The Templar stopped by Polly and gently brushed her hair back behind her ear. She pulled away angrily. "we could keep this toy."

There was a loud, heavy thud as Jacob jumped from the tunnel opening and hit the ground below him, Kukri at the ready. Immediately, every Blighter gun was turned on him, and Polly gave a frightened, little yelp, but Jacob's focus was purely on the Templar by Polly. He knew he had to be careful. The man looked unarmed, but Jacob didn't know if he was concealing any weapons under his Templar get-up.

"If I tell you where the artefact is, will you let her go?" Jacob asked the Templar seriously. He was calm, but his hand was gripping his Kukri so tight his fingers had gone white. Was he really going to do this? Give up a Piece of Eden for a girl he barely knew. Yet a girl he hadn't stopped thinking about since the day they met. He could hear his late Father's words in his head; 'Don't allow personal feelings to compromise a mission.'. Words he had used against his own sister, in jest, but a little unfairly. For the first time in a long time, the Master Assassin was torn.

"Oh we'll do more than that," the Templar told him gleefully, walking away from Polly. "We'll create a new world, greater than anything before-"

"Oh for God's sake," Jacob groaned impatiently. "Is there an adult here I can speak to?"

Polly couldn't help a little giggle escaping. Even amongst all this hell, Jacob could still make her laugh, and although she kind of wished he would stop taunting the people threatening to kill her, she was grateful for that. Also, she didn't know what this artefact was that they were fighting over, but it sounded important. So for Jacob to potentially be thinking about giving it up to save her, well, forget being grateful. She loved him for that.

"Enough!" The Templar shouted, his voice echoing around the room. Polly watched Jacob carefully as his empty hand reached for something inside his coat. Again, guns were turned on him, but none of them had the chance to react.

"That's just what I was going to say," Jacob replied with a grin, and a second later there was a loud bang, and the room filled with smoke. There was a second bang further away, and Polly heard Evie yell as she started cutting down the Blighters.

Polly couldn't see anything, and the smoke was making her cough. She was trying not to panic, but the sounds around her weren't helping. She heard a choking, gurgling sound, and something heavy hit the floor just next to her. She could only presume it was the dead body of the Templar. Suddenly, something start tugging at the ropes binding her hands, and she screamed.

"Polly, it's alright, it's just me," Jacob told her quickly, tearing through the rope with his hidden blade. The smoke was clearing now, and Jacob wanted to get Polly out quickly. He helped her up and into the exit side of the tunnel. Polly asked about his sister, but Jacob assured Polly that Evie would be fine, and by the sound of things, the elder Frye twin was well in control of the situation. Besides, the other Rooks had now joined the fray. As soon as Jacob thought they were far enough through the tunnel that they were safe, he stopped so he could check over Polly and make sure she was alright. A wave of relief swept over Polly and she just burst into tears.

"Sorry," she sobbed, wiping her eyes furiously. "I think I'm just hungry."

Jacob gently wiped away Polly's tears, and as he did so, he noticed the cut on her cheek.

"Did one of them do this to you?" He asked her seriously. She nodded, but she didn't tell him anything more. Jacob kissed her cheek and pulled her close. "Polly, I'm so sorry."

"I just want to go home," she whispered sadly. Before Jacob could reply, they were joined by some of the Rooks who were guarding the exit. Jacob told them to take Polly to safety, while he went back to help Evie. He was reluctant to leave Polly again, but the noise from further down the tunnel was escalating, and Jacob had a feeling back-up had arrived for the Templars.

"I'll meet you outside. Five minutes, tops," Jacob promised Polly.

"Wait, wait!" She said quickly, grabbing his arm before he could run off. Jacob turned back to her, and without even thinking about it, Polly kissed him. It was only a quick kiss, and completely out of character for Polly. She wasn't sure whether it was through adrenaline or sheer relief at finally being rescued. She didn't say what she wanted to. Not in front of the Rooks. She just reluctantly let him go, and she headed out with the Rooks. If Polly hadn't been sure how felt before, she was now. But they weren't quite out of the woods yet...


	11. Safety and Peace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jacob finally gets Polly to safety, and now they must both decide on their future.

The rain had started to fall by the time Polly and the Rooks made it out of the sewers. The cool, night air hit Polly like a wave. She was so relieved to finally be out of that place. She felt weak, and her cheek was still stinging and her wrists were sore, but she was alive. Thanks to Jacob. However, they weren't completely safe yet. As she'd climbed out of the sewer exit, Polly had seen Rook Natasha and three Little Rooks on a building balcony, armed with rocks, ready to attack any unsuspecting Blighters who might follow Polly and the others. Jenny, Bob, and a couple of other Rooks were waiting with a carriage.

"Come on Miss Polly, let's get you out of here," Jenny said quickly, pulling Polly slightly towards the carriage, but Polly broke free of her grasp.

"What? No! We have to wait for Jacob!" Polly insisted, stopping dead in her tracks.

"Trust me , Love, Mr Frye can take care of himself," Bob told her seriously. "He just wants to see you safe. Now-"

"I'm not leaving without Jacob," Polly refused firmly. Bob looked at Jenny, who just shrugged. Polly wasn't going to back down. Especially as she could hear shouts and screams echoing from the sewer, and it was making her feel sick with worry. What if Jacob didn't come out again? Polly turned to the Rooks. "Should we go back and help them?"

Bob gave a throaty chuckle. "We? Forgive me Miss Polly, but you don't look like much of a fighter," he said, amused, but also impressed by her efforts to help Jacob.

She could tell the Rooks weren't going to let her go back down there, so all Polly could do was wait. The sound of Police bells rang out in the distance, and Polly knew they must be looking for her, or they'd somehow got word that she'd been found. She thought about her parents, and Nancy, and Tess and how worried they all must be, and her eyes filled with tears again. She just wanted this to be over. To get Jacob, and go home.

After five or ten minutes, the Rooks started getting insistent that Polly leave. Polly didn't know whether they had a feeling that more Blighters would show up, or that Jacob was seriously hurt, or worse. She was just about to give in, when Evie clambered out of the sewer exit, closely followed by Jacob. They were both spattered with blood, but they were alive.

That was it. Polly threw herself at Jacob, jumping up and wrapping her legs round his waist. Jacob had just seconds to catch the auburn haired whirlwind, before her lips found his for a passionate kiss. At first the Assassin was too startled to react. But it didn't take long for him to sink into her kiss. Polly could feel their hearts beating against each other's chest, an almost burning love consuming her. When Polly and Jacob finally broke free for air and Jacob put Polly back down on the ground, the young girl felt her cheeks flushing a violent shade of red.

"I'm so sorry," she said quickly, not looking Jacob in the eye. "It's just...well...I just presumed it would be...alright to do that now. Maybe it was inappropriate but...well...I'm glad you're alive."

"Clearly," Jacob chuckled, leaning up against the wall, arms folded across his chest and a little smirk on his face. He was content to just let Polly babble on. Truth be told, he liked listening to her. However, Polly's little ramble was cut short by noises from inside the tunnel. Shouting. Heavy footsteps running.

"Oh bloody hell," Jacob groaned, pulling Polly away from the sewer exit. "These guys are like cockroaches!"

"Or just cocks," Bob growled, cracking his knuckles.

"Can you handle this while I get Polly out of here?" Jacob asked his twin quickly.

Evie laughed. "I think we can manage."

Polly didn't have time to say anything before Jacob had took her hand and was leading her towards the rook carriage.

They didn't make it.

There was a powerful blast from behind the carriage, knocking both of them off their feet, and taking out two Rooks too. Polly screamed as she hit the ground, landing awkwardly on her wrist. Unbeknownst to them, Blighters had rigged TNT crates up by the sewer exit, ready for an attack. More of them were spilling out of the hole, coming to blows with Evie and the Rooks.

"Jacob!" Polly shouted through the dust and smoke, coughing as she got up. Her eyes were stinging and her wrist was throbbing with pain, but she managed to stumble to her feet. "Jacob! Please don't be dead!"

"It'll take more than a bit of TNT to take me out," Polly heard Jacob call back, and she breathed a sigh of relief as the smoke cleared and he took her hand once more.

For a minute they just looked at each other. Jacob's hood had fallen down, revealing his beautiful, hazel eyes, and his brown hair, which was now loose and on his face, dampened by a mixture of sweat and the rain. Polly brushed a strand of it back with a smile. She'd never seen a man as handsome as Jacob Frye.

"I don't mean to interrupt your tender moment," Bob's voice suddenly piped up. "but shouldn't you be getting out of here?"

Jacob nodded and turned to Polly. "Are you alright?"

"I've hurt my wrist," she replied, wincing from the pain.

"The hospital it is then. Let's go," Jacob said quickly, looking around for another carriage. The fight between the Rooks and the Blighters was still going strong. The Little Rooks were throwing rocks at the Blighters coming out of the hole, alongside Natasha on the balcony.

"Look out below!" She yelled to the Rooks on the ground, grabbing a wooden chair.. The Rooks all ducked, and as soon as another Blighter climbed out of the tunnel, Nat took aim and launched the chair at him as hard as she could. "Take that, motherfucker!"

It hit the Blighter dead on, knocking him back down into the hole, and the chair shattered into pieces on the ground.

"Quick, get in that carriage!" Jacob instructed Polly, pulling out his gun and shooting a Blighter who was about to stab one of the Rooks. "Keep your head down and lock the door. I won't be a minute."

Polly did as she was told, telling Jacob to be careful. She wanted to help, but she knew there was nothing she could do. The urchins were better fighters than her. Polly tried to block out the sounds of the fighting. Limbs breaking, blood spilling. After a couple of minutes, Polly took a quick peek of the carriage window. There were bodies everywhere, mostly men and women in red, but a couple of Rooks had fallen too. The sounds of Police carriages were getting closer. Polly couldn't help hoping they would hurry up. She spotted Jacob nearby. He had a female Blighter pinned down, and his hidden blade out ready for blood. Polly recognised the woman as the one who had saved her from the handsy Blighter earlier. Polly quickly jumped out of the carriage.

"Jacob, no!" She cried, rushing to stop the Assassin's attack.

"What's wrong?" Jacob asked in confusion.

"Jacob, if it wasn't for this woman I don't know what kind of state you would of found me in," Polly explained seriously. "She potentially saved me from something bad. Let me return the favour."

"You want me to let her go?" Jacob checked. Polly nodded. Jacob admired Polly's good heart, and if there was some redeemable quality in this Blighter, then he would give her a chance. He released the woman. "It sounds to me like you're to good to wear that jacket. I don't want to see you in it again. Now go."

The female Blighter nodded gratefully at Polly, then took off in a flash. The fighting was more or less over now. There were just two brutes left. Evie was handling one of them, but the other one came flying at Jacob and knocked him straight off his feet.

Polly panicked. The Blighter had Jacob pinned with a knife at his throat. Knowing that she wasn't strong enough to do any physical damage on her own, Polly looked around for something, anything, she could use as a weapon, while Jacob struggled with his attacker.

Jacob could feel the knife digging into his skin. He couldn't resist much longer. Just as he thought he was a goner, Jacob heard a loud 'whack!' and the Blighter fell off him. Standing above him, holding a piece of the wooden chair that had been smashed earlier, was Polly. Ignoring the pain in her wrist, and the sharp splinters of wood on the piece of chair, she had took a swing at the brute and whacked him round the head. Polly dropped the plank of wood in shock. She couldn't believe what she'd just done. Was he dead? No, he was still breathing. He was clearly just knocked out. Jacob got to his feet, grinning at Polly.

"Thank you. I'm impressed. I'll make a Rook out of you yet," he chuckled.

"I just nearly killed someone," Polly said in disbelief.

"Are you alright?" Jacob asked her, gently rubbing her arm to comfort her. She clearly didn't even realise that she'd just saved his life.

"Well my wrist hurts," Polly told him, gently holding it. "and I think I have a splinter. But other than that, I'm fine."

Jacob couldn't help a splutter of laughter escaping. This girl never ceased to amaze him. Oh how she'd changed from that timid, little thing he'd met at the garden party. She was still as ditzy as ever, but she'd grown in confidence. And much to Jacob's annoyance, his sister had been right; he wasn't sure how long he could keep fighting against his true feelings for the girl.

When they were sure the coast was clear, Jacob hopped into a carriage with Polly, and they headed towards the hospital, while Evie waited to tell the Police that Polly had been found and that she was safe. Polly couldn't wait for this to all end. She wanted to see her parents, even her mother, and Tess and Nancy. Anyone but bloody Blighters and Templars. It was very late now, and still raining. Noticing that Polly was shivering, Jacob pulled off his coat and wrapped it around the young girl. Polly was tired and hungry and nervous about explaining all this to her parents. She knew her mother would turn on Jacob too, which she wasn't looking forward to. Maybe if she just told her mother how she felt...no. She couldn't even tell Jacob, let alone anyone else.

It was explaining everything to the Police first. They turned up at the hospital as Polly was being seen to by Nurse Nightingale. Jacob got frustrated and asked them to just leave her alone until she was feeling better. Polly was glad he had stayed with her. She wasn't keen on hospitals. Luckily her wrist wasn't broken, just sprained, and the cut on her cheek wasn't deep enough to need stitches. But the Nurse recommended staying overnight just to be sure there she had no post traumatic stress or concussion. Poll got upset then. She just want to go home. Jacob kissed her forehead and told her he would stay with her as long as she needed him. However...

"I want that man away from my daughter!" Elizabeth Eden's voice echoed down the hallway. "I told you! I told you he was involved somehow!"

"Elizabeth, calm down," Polly heard her father say quickly, just before her mother burst through the door.

"Get out!" She fired at Jacob angrily. Jacob wasn't shocked. He'd expected this reaction. He had a few choice words of his own for Mrs Eden, but not wanting to escalate the situation, he bit his tongue.

"Mother!" Polly protested.

"It's alright, I'll go," Jacob sighed, releasing Polly's hand, but she held on.

"No! You don't have to," Polly insisted.

"Oh yes he does!" Elizabeth jumped in. "Leave now, or I'll ask the Sergeant to remove you."

"I would love to see him try to be honest," Jacob replied with a grin, but he left without fuss, albeit reluctantly. Polly just sat and cried. Her father came over and hugged her tight and told her how happy and relieved he was that she was alright. He explained that her mother's reaction was simply because she'd been so worried about her. But Polly didn't care. She just wanted to eat and sleep now. She was given some food, then taken upstairs to a private room. She shut her parents out, saying she was too tired to talk to anyone, then she changed into a nightdress and slipped into the bed...

* * *

It was about three a.m when Jacob slowly and quietly opened Polly's window and climbed inside. Being an Assassin had it's perks, although stealth wasn't exactly Jacob's strong point. He was torn about whether to wake Polly up or not. She'd been through so much, she needed to sleep. But on the other hand, if Polly's mother had her way, this might be the only chance he got to see her. For a few minutes he just stood there, looking at her, not knowing what to do. He'd never been in a situation like this before. He didn't even know what to say to her if he did wake her up. Why did he find this so difficult?

In the end, he decided to leave. He gave the sleeping girl a kiss on her cheek, then made for the window.

"Are you not staying?" Came a whisper from the bed, making Jacob stop in his tracks. Polly rolled over and sat up. "Took you long enough."

"You've been waiting for me?" Jacob asked, hopefully.

"Of course I have," Polly said with a smile, " So, the window. Nice trick. Assassin."

Jacob sighed and moved closer to the bed. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you. But it's supposed to be a secret thing. And...and I didn't think you'd want anything to do with me if you knew."

"Assassin or not, you're still Jacob Frye," Polly shrugged. She paused, took a deep breath and looked at Jacob seriously. "And I fell in love with Jacob Frye."

It was like a sledge hammer had hit him in the stomach. All this time he'd been worrying about how he felt, that he hadn't stopped to think about how Polly might feel. And as soon as she said it, he realised that it was exactly what he wanted to hear. Everything just fell into place. Polly waited for a reply. The longer he stayed silent, the more she panicked. Had she just made a fool of herself? Did he not feel the same way? She wouldn't be surprised if he didn't, but she was still hopeful that somewhere down the line, he'd fallen for her too.

"Actually, I'm Sir Jacob Frye," Jacob joked, trying to hide his nerves. Polly climbed out of the bed, went over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"You don't have to say anything," she told him, although she was wishing he would. "But...could you close the window? It's awfully cold in here."

"I love you," Jacob said, without even thinking about it. He didn't even hear himself say it, he was too lost in Polly's eyes. He kissed her passionately, and they stay locked in that embrace for a good few minutes. When they finally broke apart Polly said softly,

"So Sir Jacob. What happens now?"...

   

 

 

 

 


	12. New Beginnings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jacob and Polly start their life together after some shocking news from Evie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's taken so long to get this chapter out! This is a little filler chapter to begin the next part of Polly's adventure.  
> (Sorry this chapter has been edited so much. I rushed to get it out originally, so it wasn't finished.)

Polly didn't wake up until gone ten the next morning. She hadn't gotten much sleep. She and Jacob had come to the conclusion that no matter how fond of each other they were, there was still a great deal they didn't know about each other. And now Jacob's biggest secret was out, he didn't see the point of holding anything else back.

Polly listened with intrigue as Jacob told her all about the Assassins and Templars, and how he and Evie were responsible for the death of Crawford Starrick, and several high profile people who had been working for him. Jacob also confessed that it had been him who killed Maxwell Roth, leader of the Blighters, but he skirted over that subject, saying only that it was complicated and that he hadn't exactly wanted to kill him. When Polly asked about the Piece of Eden the Templars had been blabbering on about, Jacob faultered and told her that was Evie's area of expertise.

Polly had wanted to talk for longer, but Jacob insisted that she needed her sleep, so he gave her a goodbye kiss and promised he would see her again the next day. Of course that was easier said than done. Polly's mother was seeing to it that Jacob Frye got nowhere near her daughter. Upon waking up, Polly had noticed that there were two police officers by the door to her room, clearly on guard.

Elizabeth Eden was lucky Polly even let her into the room, but Polly just didn't have the energy to fight with her mother. So she just didn't say anything.

"Giving me the silent treatment?" Elizabeth asked her daughter as she braided her hair for her. She gave a heavy sigh. "Come now Polly Rae, you can't keep this up forever."

"Can I go home today?" Polly asked shortly.

"Yes."

"And will there be police officers outside the house? Outside my bedchamber?" Polly fired at her mother, unable to hide the sarcasm from her voice. Mrs Eden finished doing her daughter's hair in silence. When she'd done, she looked at her daughter seriously.

"I'm just trying to protect you, that's all," Elizabeth said, but Polly wasn't falling for it.

"Protecting me from whom? The one person who actually saved my life-"

"Don't start Polly Rae."

Polly left it. Her energy levels were just too low for an argument. She went home in a foul mood, cheered up only by a visit from Tess. Jacob had clearly been warned to stay away. However, Jacob had never been great at following orders, and there was no way he was letting Polly go now. Luckily he had a friend willing to help the young lovers. Mrs Disreali. The Prime Minister's wife, visited Polly late in the afternoon. But she was not alone. She was accompanied by her unofficial bodyguard, Jacob Frye. To Polly it was a sign that Jacob was serious about her. Things didn't start off great though, with Jacob saying Polly would be safer if she had nothing to do with him. But Polly insisted she didn't care about any danger. She was his, and that was that.

Despite the objection from Mrs Eden, and the difference in class between them, it didn't take Polly and Jacob long to slip into a proper courtship. Jacob was anxious about it at first, almost rejecting her just to keep her safe. But they braved it, and luckily had no trouble from Blighters or Templars. This was new to both of them, neither of them having been in love before. However, they were blissfully happy and taking things easy. Until one day, Evie came to them with some news. She was going to India with Henry. And she didn't know how long she would be away. The news hit Jacob hard. He'd never been without his twin before. He needed her. He couldn't do this alone.

"You have me," Polly reminded him meekly, after Evie had left them to digest this shocking information. "I know it's not the same thing. But I'm here."

"You won't leave me?" Jacob checked, looking at her almost desperately. Maybe Evie leaving wouldn't be so hard, as long as he had someone by his side.

"Jacob, the furthest I'll go is the other side of the Thames," Polly joked. "And even then I don't like to go alone. Look, I know it'll be hard without Evie. But she's not abandoning you Jacob. Honestly, she's left you in good hands."

Jacob knew she was right, but he still couldn't help feeling low about it. That night he went for a drink with some of the Rooks and his friend Freddy Abberline. He was shocked to hear about Evie's departure too, and a little worried, although he didn't admit that to Jacob.

"If it's companionship you'll miss Jacob, you need not worry. You've got plenty of friends. And what about Miss Eden?" Freddy pointed out.

"How can I be sure she won't leave me?" Jacob mumbled, downing the last bit of his fith pint. Freddy was silent for a minute. Then he said,

"You could try marrying her."

Jacob looked at Abberline with a half drunken smirk on his face, and he rose to his feet. "Capital idea Freddy."

"Wait Jacob! Saying you want to marry her is one thing, asking her is completly different!" Freddy tried to warn his friend quickly, but Jacob was already halfway out the door.

"How hard can it be?" Jacob shrugged. In his slight drunken state, Jacob couldn't understand the magnitude of what he was about to do.

The police officer decided to follow him. "Jacob! You should ask her father first."

"I don't want to marry him," Jacob said, stumbling slightly as he headed towards Polly's house.

"No, you need to ask for his permission. He has to approve of the marriage," Freddy tried to explain while struggling to keep up with the Assassin's quick strides. Jacob gave a hearty laugh.

"What father isn't going to let his daughter marry a Knight of the Order of the...secret...sacred...something?"

Freddy rolled his eyes and gave a little groan. "I'd use that title very loosly Jacob. And do you really think Miss Eden is going to appreciate a drunken marriage proposal that you may not even remember tomorrow morning?"

"It's actually a _half_ drunken marriage proposal," Jacob corrected him. "I'm not fully drunk yet."

"Yet?"

"Well that depends on her answer."

"Please, Jacob, just sleep on this idea," Freddy begged his friend. "And if you do decide to go through with it, at least have the decency to be sober. I believe Miss Eden deserves that at least."

Jacob huffed, but he decided to take his friend's advise. He didn't want Polly to think that he wasn't taking this seriously. But he would do it. It was early in their courtship, yes. But Jacob couldn't risk losing her, like he was Evie. All he had to do now was decide how to ask her...

It was just like any other day. Polly went to the library as usual, chatted to Tess, read to the children. Nothing was different. Nothing seemed odd. It was a perfectly normal day. Followed by a perfectly normal evening. She had tea with her parents, then went to see Jacob at the fight club, along with Tess and a few of the Rook girls, Jenny, Natasha and Emy. The only strange thing Polly noticed at the club was that there were no Blighters there that night, and the amount of Rooks had increased too. The sparring in the ring seemed more...friendly, if you could say that about fighting. The atmosphere was warmer and less tense. When Polly mentioned the lack of Blighters to the bookie, Robert Topping, he said that they were banned tonight and that the Rooks were keeping them away.

"I'm surprised Jacob has bothered to come then," Polly said with a little laugh. "It's more fun for him when he gets to bash up some Blighters. Makes the prize more worthwhile."

"I think Sir Frye is after an even more worthwhile prize tonight M'Lady," Robert replied, before turning back to his punters. Polly thought nothing more of that comment and went back to watching the fight. Jacob was winning, as he did more often than not. At the end of the last round, Jacob was announced the champion for about the billionth time since arriving in London, but this time instead of casually hopping out of the ring as he usually did, he pulled Polly into it. She giggled as Jacob pulled her close and kissed her. Polly ignored all the whistling and jeering from the Rooks. She was used to it now.

"You're all sweaty," Polly laughed, trying to pull away, but Jacob hung on.

"Hold on a minute, I have something to say," he said quickly. "And don't you want to be kissed by a champion?"

"Please!" Polly scoffed. "Champion, Knight, gang leader, Master Assassin. How many more titles are you going to claim for yourself, Jacob Frye? I don't even have one!"

"What about...Lady Frye? How's that for a title?" Jacob asked her seriously. The whole room fell quiet. It wasn't exactly how he'd planned to ask her, but Jacob very rarely saw plans through anyhow. The words had just slipped from his mouth he had time to think. But the same question was in there somewhere, if Polly managed to catch on. And the young girl wasn't stupid.

"You...You do know there's only one way I can be Lady Frye, don't you?" Polly asked him, her voice shaking slightly. Her cheeks were burning bright pink, her heart was beating at a million times a second, and she was well aware of everyone staring at her, but for the first time, she didn't care.

"Yes, I've looked into it," Jacob replied with a cocky grin. His cheeky demeanour was covering up the fact that he was, in fact, extremely nervous. He'd been pretty sure she would say yes, but now he had doubts. Polly frowned at him, hardly daring to believe what was happening.

"Are you asking me to marry you?"

"I might be."

"You _might be?"_

"Well it depends what your answer is," Jacob replied. Polly didn't know what her answer was. She was utterly lost for words. Yet unbelievably happy. She could feel tears pricking at her eyes, but she blinked them back quickly.

"Come on, Love! Put the poor lad out of his misery!" Bob called to her. The Rooks all shouted in agreement.

"The suspense is killing me!" Emy said desperately. "Can we start calling you Lady Frye or not?"

Polly giggled and turned back to Jacob. "You know what? I think I prefer Mrs Frye."

"Either or is fine by me," Jacob said softly. "So is that a yes? Will you marry me?"

"Yes," Polly said with a laugh, and the room erupted into cheers as the newly engaged couple kissed lovingly.

It didn't go down well in the Eden household. To say it was a shock would of been an understatement. To say Mrs Eden wasn't happy about it would of been the understatement of the century. Polly just sighed and rolled her eyes as her mother threw around words like 'too soon' and 'not suitable'. It didn't make the damn bit of difference to her. She would marry Jacob and that was that.

"Don't you have anything to say about this Thomas?" Mrs Eden fired angrily at her husband. Thomas had been sitting silently, just mulling over his daughter's news while his wife ranted. He sighed, stood, and turned to Polly.

"Well, I do agree with your mother to some extent Polly Rae. It is rather fast," he said seriously. "But on the other hand, you walked in here with the biggest smile on your face. And anything that can make my daughter smile like that is fine by me. Although, he should of asked me first. But I'll overlook that."

Elizabeth Eden said nothing. There was nothing to say. Her husband had the final word, always. She wasn't impressed with her daughter's choice for a husband, and even less impressed by his actual proposal. But she now had to put up and shut up. Someone who was happy however, was Mrs Disreali. Of course, she took credit for the romance, having been the one to introduce the two of them in the first place. Evie was happy too. Surprised, and slightly more understanding of why Jacob had dived head first into this. She was his twin, she knew him better than anyone. He was afraid of being alone once she left. They had never been apart before. It was just as hard for Evie, she just hid her feelings better. But she promised she would stick around for the wedding. She wouldn't miss that for the world.

Polly and Jacob were married in January 1870, just one year after they met. Evie and Henry left London shortly after. Polly and the twins were now ready for the next chapter of their lives.

 

 

* * *

 

_Lambeth Asylum was to close. Mostly because it had lost it's sole benefactor, Crawford Starrick. Polly and a few others, including Mrs Disreali, protested against it, but to no avail._

_"Where will the patients go?" Polly asked the man responsible for this._

_"Broadmoor I presume."_

_"You presume? So you don't even know. There are children in that asylum too. Does nobody care about them?" Polly demanded to know, subconsciously giving her tummy a little rub._

_"Lady Frye, I assure you that all the patients will be cared for-"_

_"Ridiculous! They're not even cared for now!"_

_Polly couldn't see the those poor children being shifted from one mental institute to another. They needed rescuing. And for that, Polly looked to her husband for help. Jacob and Evie had spent nearly an entire year liberating child labourers. This was no different. There were only a handful of children, and instead of taking them to the orphanage, Jacob decided that they would have a better life if he took them in as Little Rooks and trainee Assassins._

_"I'll have to ask the council's permission of course," Jacob told Polly seriously, "But I can't see them saying no, what with how light on the ground we are for Assassins in England."_

_Polly bundled all the children into the back of a Rook carriage, and then spotted that she'd missed one of them. A young boy with blonde hair, not much older than eight or nine, was standing by the gate of the asylum, arms folded across his chest and shivering from the cold. Jacob waved him over, but he didn't move. He just looked down at his old, battered shoes. So Polly went over to him._

_"Hello," she greeted him cheerfully. He looked at her with piercing blue eyes, but didn't say anything. So Polly tried again. "I'm Polly. What's your name?"_

_The boy just stared at her for a minute, so hard that Polly felt a twinge of uneasiness inside her. Then he whispered, "Jack."_

_"Well Jack. Would you like to come with us? Better than standing out here in the cold, isn't it?"_

_Polly held out her hand, and after a moment of hesitation, Jack took it. Polly took him over to where Jacob was waiting with the carriage._

_"Come on lad, you can ride upfront with me," Jacob said, hitching Jack up onto the driving seat. Jack sat there obediently, showing little emotion. Polly was worried that spending time in the asylum had affected him more so than the other children. But Jacob seemed quite confident in taking him on as an apprentice. What could possibly go wrong?_


	13. Father and Son

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jacob takes little Jack on as an apprentice. However, just as Jack is settling into the family, a new surprise arrives at the Frye household, threatening his relationship with Jacob and Polly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick note about the chapters here-on-in. Thank you to my friend Keni (Babelast on tumblr, who also did all the art for my fic), who has kindly given me permission to use her OC Jack and helped me with writing him. And thank you to Oreana (blindgeishateahouse on tumblr) for allowing me to use Emmett Frye. Also, as I am not sure whether the Locus comics are canon or not, for the sake of my story, I have ignored them.

**_November 9th 1847_ **

_It couldn't be done. The poor girl was too weak, she'd lost too much blood. Her second baby wasn't coming out without intervention, which would surely mean the death of the mother. But if the doctors didn't do something, chances were they would lose the younger twin too._

_"Do it," Cecily Frye whispered weakly, slowly fading._

_"Mrs Frye, it would make certain of-"_

_"I know. Just....just save my baby..."_

_She would bleed out. Everyone knew this. But she insisted, and they had to be quick about it. They cut the screaming twin, kicking and screaming, from his mother's womb. The doctors tried to stop the blood loss long enough to keep her alive to see her baby boy._

_"Hello..." she said in a barely audible whisper. With the last ounce of strength she had, Cecily reached up and touched his arm. "Jacob..."_

_Her eyelids fluttered closed, and she was gone. The roar of agony from her husband when he was told was deafening, upsetting the newborns even more._

_"She died to save your son Mr Frye, remember that," the midwife told him gently. Ethan Frye looked down at the baby boy in her arms. His eyes flashed a mix of love and contempt._

_"Oh, I'll remember."_

* * *

 

Jacob took on some of the children as trainee assassins. He was fond of them all, but none more so than Jack. The young lad would spend a lot of time with Polly and Jacob. Polly would sit with him and they would read stories together about past Assassins, from books that Evie had given her before she left. Jacob discovered that Jack's mother was a fallen Rook. He'd watched his mother die, and been told to go and find Jacob. However, Jack had been caught before making it to the Assassin.

"I knew I recognised his face from somewhere," Jacob told Polly. "Poor lad. I owe it to his mother to keep him safe now."

"Jacob, what happened to her wasn't your fault. These people know the risks when they join a gang, surely," Polly tried to assure her husband.

"Still. I know what it feels like to grow up without a mother," Jacob said, not quite looking at Polly. His mother's death was the one subject he'd not really opened up to her about. He'd told Polly everything about him, even things that he thought would send her running for the hills. But he found it difficult to talk about his mother to anyone. "Besides, the kid's got potential. He'll make a good Assassin."

Jack found himself enjoying being part of the Frye household. He was especially fond of Polly. He missed his mother terribly, but Polly gave him some of the motherly love he needed. But soon he noticed a change. Polly would become tired much quicker, and would often go to bed early. On a few occasions Jack had asked if he could read with Polly, only to have Jacob tell him that Polly wasn't feeling very well. And he soon found out why. The children had noticed a physical change to Polly too, and some of them knew what that meant.

"Miss Polly's 'avin a baby," one of the girls told Jack one day. Jack frowned at her, a little surprised.

"How do you know?" He fired at her.

"Her tummy. A lady's tummy gets all round like when she's 'avin a baby," the girl explained. "Either that or she's been eatin' too much."

"Nah. Ja- Mr Frye would have told me," Jack shrugged. Jacob did tell him eventually. By that time it was already perfectly obvious to everyone anyway. One day in October, Jack wasn't allowed inside the house at all...

Polly was terrified. When she'd asked her mother what childbirth was like her mother's response was "well there's a reason I only had one child.". Polly didn't find that particularly encouraging to say the least. And she'd been right to be nervous. It was painful and undignified, her pain made worse by the fact that Jacob had been made to wait outside. Polly hadn't screamed and cried so much in her entire life, but she didn't have time to feel embarrassed by her state. Every one of Polly's screams broke Jacob's heart a little bit. Several times, he wanted to smash down the door to get to her, but he knew he would only get in the way, and he didn't want anything to go wrong. This is how he'd lost his mother, he wouldn't be the reason he lost Polly too.

Thankfully, the birth went relatively smoothly. It took a couple of hours, and by that time Jacob had done so much pacing he thought his legs might drop off. However, he was finally allowed to see his wife. And his newborn son. He kissed Polly, then took the baby from her arms. He was whimpering, and snuffling, but he seemed calm.

"Wow. That's a baby," Jacob said, in shock that he had suddenly become a father.

"Well deduced genius," Polly giggled. She yawned and lay back into her pillows. Jacob caught her hand quickly.

"Are you alright?" He asked her, concerned. Polly smiled up at him and gave his hand a squeeze.

"I'm fine Jacob, don't panic. I'm just sleepy. This wasn't easy you know," she said, stifling another yawn. "Anyway, important stuff. What shall we name him?"

How about Jacob Junior?" Jacob teased his wife. "We could call him J.J."

"You're an idiot."

"I'll take that as a no then," Jacob laughed. He looked down at his son for a couple of minutes, actually giving it some serious thought. Polly was just dropping off to sleep when he finally said "what about Emmett?"

"Emmett Frye," Polly mused. She nodded, smiling. "Yes, I like it."

Jacob grinned at the baby as he tried to grab his father's shilling necklace. "Hello Emmett Frye. Welcome to the family, Rook."


	14. One Too Many.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With baby Emmett quickly growing up, Jacob decides to take his family to see Evie in India, and Polly suggests bringing Jack too. But there's a slight problem when one more person decides to join the trip.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also the art in this chapter was done by my very good friend Keni (Babelast on tumblr. If you love Jacob Frye I suggest you check her out!)

"What sound does a bird make Emmett?"

"Tweet!"

"Good boy! What about a horse? What sound does that make?"

"Clop clop!"

"Well Emmett, I was looking for neigh, but clop clop is close enough," Jacob chuckled, giving his son a kiss on his forehead. Emmett giggled in Jacob's arms as they watched the horse and carts go by from the window, and suddenly Jacob realised what he had meant. "Oh the hooves! The hooves go clop clop! Very good Emmett!"

"Who a good horse?" Emmett said, reaching up to tug his father's top hat down over his eyes.

"Hey! Give over, you rascal!" Jacob laughed. Polly smiled at her husband and son from the chair she was sitting in. She couldn't believe how fast Emmett was growing up. It only seemed like yesterday since she was holding her tiny newborn. Now he was just over a year old , and from what Polly could tell, progressing well. It was always a worry with babies that they would be sickly, and pass away early. But Emmett seemed strong, like his father, and intelligent like his mother.

"You'll have to stop wearing those hats soon," Polly called to Jacob. The Assassin spun round to face his wife.

"The top hats? Never!" He joked with her. Emmett laughed at his father's playful tone, still struggling to get the hat from Jacob's head.

"I prefer the flat cap," Polly told him casually, unable to suppress a little grin.

"Oh I know you do."

Jacob put Emmett down on the floor, where he toddled over to Jack, who was sitting on the rug reading a book. Jack ignored the baby, even turning slightly so Emmett couldn't see him. The two hadn't really bonded. Jack got frustrated every time Polly or Jacob had to leave him to see to Emmett. Jack didn't particularly like when any of the children got attention from the Fryes, Polly especially, but Emmett was worse. Emmett was blood. They loved him. Soon he would be big enough to start training with them, and Jacob would forget all about little Jack The Lad. And Emmett wasn't the only problem. Polly was pregnant again. Jack felt like he was being shoved further down the pecking line.

Emmett curiously moved round to face Jack, who finally looked up. When Jack didn't say anything, Emmett playfully 'booped' him on the nose.

"Oi! Leave off!" Jack groaned, pushing him away with a little more force than he meant to. Emmett fell with an 'oof', onto his bottom. He didn't cry though. Just looked at Jack with a little pout.

"Jack," Polly said, getting up to pick her baby up off the floor. "He's only playing. Remember, he's not big enough to rough and tumble with."

Jack scowled as Polly snuggled Emmett close to her chest, balancing him slightly on her tummy. Sensing a bit of tension, Jacob suggested that he and Jack go and check on some of the Rook strongholds while Polly put Emmett down for a nap. Polly watched her son sleep for a few minutes, just contemplating his future. It was just assumed that Emmett would follow in his father's footsteps and be an Assassin, but Polly was yet to admit to Jacob that the idea made her feel sick. Every time Jacob went out to fight, or to hunt down a target, Polly was constantly afraid he wouldn't come back. But that was his life, and she accepted that. Protecting Emmett was her responsibility as a mother. How could she willingly throw him into dangerous situations like that? And what of their second born? Would they be an Assassin too? 

Polly had been content to have just the one child, like her own mother, but she'd known it was pretty inevitable that she would have more, and she was thrilled when she found out she was pregnant again. She knew Jacob wouldn't mind more either. He loved kids, and he'd taken to fatherhood better than even he thought possible. But then there was Jack too. He'd been like a son to Polly and Jacob, and after losing his mother, Polly couldn't just toss him aside.

That night in bed, Jacob shared some news with Polly that he'd actually been keeping from her for a few days. Evie had written to him. And she wanted them to visit her in India. Polly was unsure, what with Emmett being so young, and her being so heavily pregnant.

"We can wait until after the baby is born. But I won't go without you," Jacob promised her, but quietly disappointed she hadn't jumped at the chance.

"And I won't deny you the chance to see your sister," Polly replied seriously. "But India...It's so far away. And a completely strange country to us. I just worry for the children. And who's going to take charge while you're gone? Will the council even let you go?"

"Let me worry about that," Jacob said, giving her lips a tender kiss. Polly went to speak again, but Jacob silenced her with yet another kiss, this one more passionate than the first. He didn't like her getting involved with Assassin politics. Polly was his escape from all that. That was why he was so thankful he'd married someone outside the Brotherhood. Polly was about as far away as you could get. Once, Jacob had asked her if she'd like to hold his kukri, and she'd punched his arm for being rude. She was a character, but Jacob loved her more every day.

"Is this your way of getting me to say yes?" Polly giggled, running a hand through Jacob's hair.

"I usually have to do a bit more than kiss you," Jacob replied with a grin. He shifted his position, and Polly could feel that his body was certainly ready to do more, although Polly's swollen tummy made things difficult.

"Stop being rude Jacob Frye," Polly laughed. "I do not say that!"

"You actually say lots of things. And I'm surprised you can't hear yoursel-"

Suddenly, a wail broke out in the room next door, and the pair of them sighed through little smiles. Emmett was sleeping through the nights now, but there were one or two occasions when he awoke crying, and it was usually at times either before or during his parents getting intimate.

"I swear to God it's like he knows," Polly sighed, gently pushing Jacob off her so she could see to her baby. "Oh well, maybe he'll sleep better in India..."

* * *

The Rooks were shocked, Polly's parent's were not happy, but Polly and Jacob were going to India, after their second child had been born. Not only were they taking Emmett and the baby, but also little Jack too. Jacob requested help from his father's old brother in arms, George Westhouse, to keep up the training with the Assassins, but he struggled to know what to do with the Rooks.

"What will we do without you here Boss?" Jenny asked, looking nervous. "There's still Blighters kicking around the place."

"I'm trying to figure something out," Jacob groaned. Polly looked at him seriously. She turned to Natasha and shoved Emmett into her arms.

"Here, hold this." Polly poked her head into the bar car of the train. "Bob, how do you fancy being leader of the Rooks for a bit?"

"Sounds easy enough," Bob shrugged. Polly smiled and thanked him. Then she went back to the others. Natasha seemed quite content to hold Emmett for a little bit longer, tickling him under the chin while he tugged on her yellow neck scarf.

"Problem solved," Polly said, grinning at Jacob.


	15. Parenthood and Passion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jacob juggles family life with work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I tried my hand at a little lukewarm smut. I've never written anything like this before, so I apologise with they way it's come out. I wanted to make it more romantic than pornographic. I wasn't actually planning it, it just sort of happened. Also the art in this chapter was done by my very good friend Keni (Babelast on tumblr. If you love Jacob Frye I suggest you check her out!)

Valentine's Day 1872 brought a lovely little surprise to Jacob and Polly. This time Jacob found himself looking into the blue eyes of a baby girl. She had a mop of reddish hair, the same colour as her mother, but the spark in her eyes, even minutes after being born, was all Jacob. The Assassin was delighted he had a daughter. Ever since Polly had announced she was pregnant again, he had secretly hoped she would have a girl. And now he was holding that daughter in his arms. He could already feel his heart swelling with deep, protective love for her. 'I'd kill anyone who hurt you,' he thought to himself as he stroked her cheek. It was such a powerful feeling. He'd had the same feeling with Emmett of course, but a girl was different. Jacob felt it was his duty as a father to keep her safe. Polly was quick to notice Jacob's reaction, and she couldn't help smiling.

"We may as well just call her Princess Frye with the way you're looking at her," she teased her husband. "She's going to have you wrapped around her little finger."

"That's not true," Jacob protested, but he didn't take his eyes off the now sleeping baby in his arms. He just continued to gently stroke her cheek.

"Oh please! You're melting already and she's less than an hour old!" Polly laughed. "So, do we have a name for her, or are we sticking with Princess?"

"Have any ideas?"

"One. I like Abigail."

"Abigail? Hmmm...Actually, I like it," Jacob agreed, smiling. "Abigail Frye. Wait..."

"What's wrong?" Polly asked Jacob. He looked at his wife seriously.

"I love the name Abigail. But...would you mind if we gave her the middle name Cecily? After my mother?"

Polly smiled happily. "Of course not. It's a beautiful name and a wonderful sentiment. Our daughter, Abigail Cecily Frye."

* * *

The Frye family spent a year in India with Evie and Henry. As enjoyable as it was, Polly was glad when they finally returned home. Now she felt she could properly settle down and be a mother and wife. The only thing she didn't like about motherhood was how quickly the children grew up. Soon Emmett was out training with his father and Jack, learning new techniques Jacob had picked up from the Indian brotherhood. Emmett and Jack would bicker and fight like brothers occasionally, but it was nothing too serious. In fact, Jack would even argue with Jacob from time to time, but Jacob put that down to Jack being a teenager. Apart from Polly, the one person Jack didn't seem to mind was little Abigail.

Abigail had been quite the surprise to Jacob and Polly as she grew up, because as much as she looked like Polly, her personality seemed to be more that of her father. She wanted to run around outside like the little boys, not sit and have tea parties with the girls. Which Polly and Jacob didn't mind. That was who she wanted to be. Why change it? Although Polly couldn't count the number of dresses the little rascal got through. The one thing Polly was not willing to do was dress her in boys clothes. Not until she was older.

Jacob was a good father, firm but fair, like he'd said he would be with his Rooks. And while he loved his son, and was proud that Emmett was following in his footsteps, Jacob doted on his daughter.

“Catch me Papa!” Abigail giggled excitedly, jumping up and down on her bed. Jacob laughed at his three year old daughter and bent down by the side of her bed.

“Alright Abbie, I’m ready. 1…2…3…jump!”

The toddler threw her tiny body at her father, who caught her and pulled her close to his chest.

“Yay! You catched me!” Abigail cheered, clinging onto him. Jacob smiled lovingly at her.

“I’ll always be here to catch you sweetheart,” he told her softly.

  He played games with her, took her for walks, cradled her when she got sick. barely sleeping for three days straight just so he could take care of her. And in turn Abigail adored her father. She followed him around the house, tugging on his trouser leg just to say hello. In her younger years she would cry when he went out to work, but she soon out grew that. As Polly had expected, Abigail did have her father in her pocket. As she grew, Jacob noticed a slightly...cheeky streak in her. Sometimes she would answer back to her parents. She even went as far as to punch a little boy, and push a little girl into a puddle. Although in her defence, those children were being mean. Jacob tried to scold her, but he found it so difficult, one because she was so cute, and two because he just saw so much of himself in her.

"Abigail. You can't go around hitting people, alright?" He warned her, trying to ignore her little pout.

"But he was being bad Papa," Abbie tried to explain. "And Mama says you stop bad people. I was helping."

"I stop grown up bad people Abbie," Jacob chuckled, sitting down next to her on her bed. "But thank you for your help Princess."

"I don't want to be a Princess."

"Oh? And why's that?"

"The Princess in the story is always saved by the hero. Well I want to be the hero instead. Like you Papa," Abigail told her father, climbing onto his lap. Jacob couldn't help but feel very humbled by his little girl's words. 

"I'm no hero Abbie," Jacob told her, but he gave her a grateful kiss on top of her head. "Well...maybe I'm a little bit of a hero."

"You're my hero."

* * *

 

It was a little tough on Jacob, raising a family and leading the Rooks and Assassins at the same time. It was something he hadn't really planned for so early in his life. But he'd fallen in love with Polly so quickly, and everything after that had happened at equal speed. Not that he was complaining. He wouldn't change a thing. It was just...tough without that second pair of hands to help him. He needed to keep working, but he didn't want to neglect his family. Luckily he had an understanding wife who would stand by him. He was staying out later each night, which Polly hated, but she never said anything, even though Jacob knew it bothered her.

One night Jacob decided enough was enough, and he decided to go home earlier. The children were in bed, but Polly was still up. She was getting all ready for bed though, just closing the curtains, when she felt an arm slip around her waist. She knew just my the firm, but gentle grip who it was, and she couldn't help a little giggle escaping. Damn those assassin skills.

"Mr Frye. You're back early," Polly said, thrilled that he'd come back before she'd fallen asleep this time.

"I've been neglecting you, Mrs Frye," Jacob replied softly, leaning round to give her cheek a quick kiss.

"Jacob you've been working. I understand that," Polly assured him. "As long as you're not in one of those brothels, I don't mind."

"I only have eyes for one woman, and luckily she married me," Jacob said , pulling Polly closer to his body. Polly felt her whole body tingle and her heart start to beat faster as Jacob's soft lips connected with the skin of her neck. It had been a while since the pair had been intimate, and Polly would of been lying if she'd said she hadn't been craving his touch. She let out a quiet moan, which seemed to be just the reaction Jacob had hoped for.

"I have a question for you," Jacob muttered against her neck.

"Go ahead,"

"How much do you like this night gown?"

"Well it's quite old now," Polly replied, slightly confused at his question. "I could do with a new one actually."

"Perfect. Hold still," Jacob whispered in her ear, with a sensual tone that made her body tremble even more with excitement. Polly heard the sound of his hidden blade being released, and Jacob stepped back slightly, pulling on the back of her dress a tiny bit. Polly gasped as she heard and felt the fabric tear and loosen around her. Then it stopped.

Jacob's fingertips brushed against Polly's shoulders as he pushed the straps away, causing the dress to fall to the floor, leaving the girl completely naked. Polly smiled happily. Finally. Her body was ready. Jacob spun her round and gave a groan of approval as he looked her up and down. Polly wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately. It was very rare her tongue claimed dominance, but this time he was all hers. The way he felt, the way he tasted, it just made her crave him even more. The tingling heat that was travelling lower and lower down her body was almost hitting her womanhood already. She wasn't sure how much longer she would last.

When the pair broke away to catch their breath, Polly giggled again.

"You could of just undone the ribbon," she told Jacob, stroking the back of his hair.

"Where's the fun in that?" He scoffed in reply, but he was removing his gauntlet, and his pistol from under his coat. He clearly had plans.

"I love you," Polly told him softly, tossing away his top hat and pushing his long trench coat off him. "Now either pass me a blanket, or take me to bed Mr Frye, I'm cold."

"I know several ways I could warm you up," Jacob chuckled, restarting his assault of kisses on her neck again. This time though, his hands were free to wander over her naked body, making Polly shudder pleasantly at each touch and making his own arousal more prominent in his trousers. "And what's with the hat throwing? You don't usually treat my hats with such contempt." 

"It's an old hat. Besides, I like the flat cap better."

Jacob stepped away from Polly quickly, like an idea had just struck him. Polly whined in disappointment, but Jacob ignored her for a second and instead started rooting around in one of his drawers. Eventually he found what he was looking for; his tatty, little flat cap. It had been a long time since he'd worn it, but he would never throw it out, it had too much sentimental value. He plonked it on his head and turned back to Polly.

"So. Does it still do the job?" He asked her with a cheeky grin. Polly's answer caught Jacob a little off guard. She didn't say anything, she just flung her naked body at him, her lips crashing down on his own. Her hands began to frantically tug at his waistcoat, in a desperate need to remove it. Jacob was more than happy to assist her, without even removing his lips from hers and within seconds his waistcoat, shirt and necktie had been almost torn from his body and discarded onto the floor with Polly's nightgown. It was unlike Polly to behave in this manner, but boy did Jacob like it, and he was certainly going to encourage it more often.

Breaking their kiss, which earned him another whine of disappointment from Polly, he picked her up and carried her over to their bed. As he placed her down, she quickly began unbuckling his trousers, eager to see just how ready he was. And boy was he ready.

Seeing her struggle a little, Jacob moved Polly's hands away so he could finish the job himself. He kicked his boots off and removed the rest of his attire. Except the cap. Polly smiled at him in all his naked glory. She'd seen that hard cock so many times before, but it never failed to remind her just how lucky she was. She reached up to run her hands up his chest, and Jacob lightly pushed her back onto the bed.

Everything from there was a pleasurable haze of passion. Polly's sighs and moans got louder as Jacob thrusted deeper into her. They both knew they had to keep some sort of control, what with the other two sleeping occupants of the house, but it was difficult with how excited and in love they both were. What turned Polly on the most though was Jacob whispering in her ear. Telling her how beautiful she was and how much he loved her. And things a little less romantic.

"I could fuck you all night!" He groaned, feeling his climax building. The scratching Polly was doing on his back told him she was close too. She was close. Very close. Any second now that string would snap...

"I wouldn't say no," Polly sighed breathlessly. "But stop cursing."

It amazed Jacob how even in the throws of passion, Polly could still scold him for swearing. But they kept going, moving together as one. It just took one more kiss...Polly gripped the sheets and buried her face in the crook of Jacob's neck to muffle the sound of her crying out his name. Jacob was a little less controlled, and upon feeling her womanhood tighten around his cock, he gave one final shuddering thrust, and released his seed deep into her, her name on his lips the whole time. 

"Now, isn't that better than work?" Polly giggled as they lay together, both coming down from their blissful high.

"Just a bit," Jacob laughed, tossing his flat cap away and pulling Polly into his arms.

"I can't believe that thing stayed on," Polly said, grinning. "And oh Mr Frye? You owe me a new nightgown."

 

* * *

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for taking the time to read my work. If you liked it, a kudos would be much appreciated. If you have any feedback for me, hunt me down on tumblr or leave a comment here. I'm swiggle-muffin (or Tammy if you want my actual name.)


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